Brothers in Arms
by spiralgamer
Summary: Rewrite of Brother of the Sun. There are two organizations of Persona users at war with each other. The Hands of Anarchy, who just want to watch the world burn, and Heiwa, who wish to stop them. Seth Carter and his brother are members of Heiwa and when he's sent to Tatsumi Port Island, he'll encounter new allies and enemies alike. DISCONTINUED!
1. Chapter 1

**This is the official rewrite of Brother of the Sun! I took into account the constructive criticism from the reviews of the original story and decided to make something that wasn't just the game's story with a character added. I'm actually adding a story that complements the original while still feeling like its own separate entity. Seth is still going to be the main character, but he's going to be involved with a different group of characters than before, at least in the beginning. He and his group are going to run into SEES once in a while, but the focus will be on the OCs. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the rewrite of Brother of the Sun!**

* * *

_April 6, 2009, Monday, Morning_

In a hotel in Tokyo, lying on one of the beds was a young man with short, dark brown hair and green eyes, was about five-foot-ten and wearing a pair of green boxers. This man was **Seth Carter** (Age 16). He looked over at the bed next to his to see a slightly younger boy with slightly longer hair of the same color, hazel eyes and three inches shorter than him. That was his younger brother, **Luke Carter** (Age 14). Ever since three years ago, they were brought to Japan because they had special abilities that a particular organization found interesting, Persona.

The secret organization that brought them all the way from America is called **Heiwa**. They formed due to an underground organization of mentally insane Persona-users rising up called **The Hands of Anarchy**. The Hands of Anarchy's goal is in their title, cause anarchy and chaos regardless of its shape, form or size. Heiwa was formed to prevent them from doing so. Both organizations have been around for over 10 years and both sides have been recruiting anyone who may have the Persona ability, though both are very small with only a handful of individuals as members. During the three years Seth and Luke have been with Heiwa, they were forced to hone their Persona abilities and learn the Japanese language.

Seth then heard his cell phone ring and he answered it. "Hello?"

"_Mr. Carter, once you and your brother are awake please come to my office."_ A man said over the phone.

"What's this ab-" Seth was about to ask, but the man hung up and he sighed. "I wonder what Director Matsuzawa wants…"

* * *

After getting dressed, Seth and Luke made their way through the bustling streets of Tokyo. Seth was wearing a yellow, thin shirt underneath a black jacket and jeans while Luke had glasses, a blue shirt and brown cargo pants.

The older brother looked at his younger brother and saw that he wasn't particularly comfortable around so many people. Seth had no problems interacting with people, but Luke was the exact opposite except around their family. In response to this, Seth stood very close to Luke.

"Don't worry, Luke." Seth said in an assuring tone. "We're almost there."

Luke didn't respond at all, instead he kept walking alongside his brother.

"How do you expect to get a girlfriend if you never open your mouth in public?" Seth asked jokingly.

Luke simply blushed and leered at Seth.

"Heheh, I'm only teasing you." Seth said.

They made their way down an alley and kept moving until they reached a manhole cover and Seth rhythmically knocked on it. A second or two passed before someone pushed the manhole to the side and the two brothers dropped down into the sewers below. The person who let them in was a Heiwa guard who closed the entrance to the sewer, pressed a keypad that was on the wall and a hidden passageway revealed itself. The boys entered the passageway before it closed again and they kept walking until they arrived at a medium-sized room where about dozen people were on computers.

"Mr. Carter, good morning." A man walked up to them. He had a grey suit on, smooth dark hair and a prominent moustache. This man was **Tadashi Matsuzawa** (Age 35), the founder of Heiwa.

"Good morning, Director Matsuzawa." Seth greeted him.

"Good morning, Director Matsuzawa." Luke politely bowed.

"Luke, may I have a word with your brother in private, please?" Matsuzawa asked.

"S-sure." Luke replied.

Matsuzawa led Seth away and toward a door that led to a small office and they took their seats.

"What is it you wanted to talk to me about?" Seth asked.

"I've watched you and your brother hone your abilities over the last three years and I'm quite impressed with how far you've both come." Matsuzawa said. "I'm assigning you to our Tatsumi Port Island base. While you're there, you and the others stationed there will be attending Gekkoukan High School."

"What about Luke?" Seth asked.

"He's still rather young, so he's going to continue his training here."

"W-wait…" Seth stood up. "I'm going away, but Luke is staying here?"

"That's right."

"With all due respect, Director Matsuzawa, Luke needs me here. Without me, there's no way he'd be able to handle the outside world."

"Which is why he needs some time away from you. He needs to learn to overcome his social anxiety on his own."

Seth started to become a bit angry. "You don't understand. Luke needs me. He needs his big brother with him."

The entire time, Matsuzawa had a calm, collected expression on his face. "He'll never grow up that way. You are to pack your things and say your farewells by the end of the day."

Seth took several deep breaths through his nose and glared at Matsuzawa. "… Alright…"

* * *

_April 6, 2009, Monday, Evening_

Later that night, Seth was on a train heading for Tatsumi Port Island. As he sat in his seat he thought back on what had happened between him and Luke earlier.

_(Begin Flashback)_

_Seth and Luke were in their hotel room as the former was packing various clothes, manga and other items._

"_I really didn't want it to come to this, Luke, but it's the Director's orders." Seth said._

"_What if they finally assign me to a location?" Luke asked. "I won't be able to talk to anyone. You know I'm not comfortable with people."_

_Seth then gave Luke a warm, comforting hug as a tear fell from his face. "… I know."_

_(End Flashback)_

*I hope you'll be all right, Luke…* Seth thought as he looked out the window and took in the sights that passed by.

Holstered on his waist was a gun-like device Matsuzawa referred to as an Evoker, which would be necessary for him to summon his Persona there. Thankfully, when security checked it out they concluded that it was a toy and allowed him through.

* * *

_April 6, 2009, Monday, Late Night_

It was almost midnight and Seth's train finally arrived at Tatsumi Port Island. He grabbed his luggage and proceeded off the train and towards a map of the city.

"Let's see…" Seth muttered as he looked at the map and the address given to him.

A young man with blue hair, black jacket, headphones, white shirt and black pants came up to the map and looked at a slip of paper he was holding. Seth noticed him and examined his outfit.

"You attending Gekkoukan?" Seth asked.

"Huh?" The boy removed his headphones and turned to look at him.

"Your uniform." Seth said. "Are you attending Gekkoukan High School?"

"Y-yeah." The boy nodded. "I just transferred here."

"Well, I hope we share classes together." Seth held out his hand. "The name's Seth Carter. What's yours?"

The boy looked at his hand for a minute before shaking it. "Minato Arisato."

"Nice to meet you, Minato." Seth said. "It's getting late, so we should head to our dorms as soon as possible."

Just as the clock hit midnight, all electronics powered down, the lighting turned into a sickly green, puddles of blood stained the floors and most of the people around him were replaced with coffins.

*Is this… The Dark Hour that Matsuzawa mentioned?* Seth thought.

He watched Minato, who wasn't turned into a coffin, walk away.

*He doesn't seem to be affected by it like most people.* He continued thinking. *Could he… Maybe…*

* * *

Seth continued making his way through Tatsumi Port Island until he arrived at a three floor building.

"This must be the place." Seth muttered to himself.

Just as he was about to knock on the door, a voice came from the other side.

"The crow caws at midnight." A monotone, uninterested female voice said.

"And turns into a coffin because of the Dark Hour. This is Seth Carter. Can you please let me in?"

"How do I know you're really him?" The voice asked.

"Emi, who is that?" Another female voice, a much more cheerful one, asked from the other side of the door.

"He says he's Seth Carter, but how can we know for sure?" The dull voice asked.

"Hold on, Mr. Carter." The cheerful voice said.

The door opened up to show a cute young woman with short pink hair, brown eyes, a purple-colored Gekkoukan uniform and matching leggings.

"I'm sorry about Emi." She said. "We can't help but get suspicious of people who are walking around during the Dark Hour."

"I don't blame you." Seth said as he entered and the door closed behind him closed.

"My name is **Homura Ryukawa** (Age 16)." The girl introduced herself. "Right to your left is **Emi Tsukino** (Age 16)."

Seth turned to see another girl with pale skin, long black hair, purple eye-shadow, a completely black Gekkoukan uniform with black pants, black leggings, black shoes and a white skull design on the shirt.

"Is there anyone else in this dorm?" Seth asked.

"Two guys." Homura answered. "But they're both asleep right now, so you'll meet them in the morning. We only stayed up so we could greet you."

"I'm always up at this time of night." Emi said, still talking in that uninterested tone.

"You should go unpack your things and go to bed." Homura said. "We've got a big day ahead of us tomorrow."

Just then the lighting turned back to normal and the electricity came back, illuminating the room much to Emi's misfortune as she just hissed and covered her eyes.

"Let me show you to your room." Homura said. "Emi, make sure you lock up, okay?"

Homura led Seth up to the second floor, which had a total of four rooms, and they stopped at the last door on the right.

"Here it is." Homura said. "The boys' rooms are on the second floor and the girls' are on the third floor. I'm the first one on the right if you ever need anything. Anyway, good night."

Homura went upstairs and Seth went into his room to see it completely empty save for a bed, a closet, a television set and a few shelves. He laid his luggage down on the ground and lied down on his bed. He pulled out his cell phone, pressed a variety of numbers and waited for someone to pick up. It went straight to voicemail and he had a disappointed look on his face.

"… Hey, Luke." Seth said. "It's Seth. I just wanted to check up on you and let you know that I made it to the dorm okay. The people here seem nice so far… Well, I just called so you wouldn't worry. I hope you're doing okay. Just hand in there…"

He hung up, stripped down into his birthday suit and went to sleep. Seth preferred sleeping in the nude, so whenever he was sleeping alone he would take advantage of it.

* * *

_April 7, 2009, Wednesday, Early Morning_

Seth's alarm clock went off and he slammed his fist against it while his naked body was still laying face-down.

"Ugh… I'm not a morning person…" He groaned as he slowly got out of bed so he wouldn't get a morning migraine.

Once he was standing on the floor, he walked over to one of his suitcases and started rummaging through some clothes in it when the door was suddenly opened by Homura.

"Carter-kun, are you a-" Homura stopped when she saw Seth's stand up with his bare ass facing her. Her face became so red that she could be confused with a tomato and slammed the door shut.

"I'm sorry!" She quickly screamed.

"Have you ever heard of knocking?" Seth questioned before sighing. "I'll be right out."

Seth put on a pair of green boxers, then his yellow shirt followed by the traditional Gekkoukan High School jacket and pants. He got his school bag together, slung it over his shoulder and walked out of his room with Homura following him downstairs.

"Please don't tell anyone about this." Homura said.

"Why would I?" Seth questioned. "If anything, you'd be the one with the urge to tell someone. My mother always told me and my brother we're so handsome that girls won't be able to resist us."

"Yyyyeah, no." Homura said.

They arrived downstairs to see Emi and two guys waiting for them by the front door downstairs. The one to walk up to Seth and Homura had medium-length ivory hair, grey eyes and was wearing a white version of the male Gekkoukan uniform over his skinny body.

"So you're the new guy?" The guy asked. "Nice to meet ya. I'm **Daichi Mizushima** (Age 15)."

"Seth Carter." Seth shook hands with Daichi.

"So, how did it feel to wake up to the sight of the sexy Homura?" Daichi asked. "She's easily the sexiest girl at Gekkoukan."

"Let's just say it was uncomfortable…" Seth scratched the back of his head.

"Why?" Daichi asked.

"Never mind that." Homura said. "Daichi's the only first year in our dorm, the rest of us are juniors."

"Wait, so you're saying Seth's my senpai?" Daichi asked. "Damn, I was hoping for another person my own age."

"Aren't you only a year younger than me, though?" Seth asked. "Sorry to change the subject, but I've yet to be introduced to you." Seth pointed to the other guy.

He had very short, light blue hair and wore his Gekkoukan uniform with its sleeves tied around his neck like it was a cape.

"I am the great **Nobuo Ueda** (Age 16)!" He introduced himself flamboyantly. "Everyone here except Mizushima is a second year, just so you know."

"… Why is he talking like a cheesy superhero?" Seth whispered to Homura.

"That's just who he is." Homura whispered back. "He never explained why."

"And you're all Persona users?" Seth asked.

"If you're in Heiwa and not a Persona user, you've got a desk job." Daichi replied.

"You've already met me and Emi here." Homura said to Seth.

Emi just remained quiet and stood a couple of feet away from everyone else.

"Why is she standing there?" Seth asked.

"You mean Goth over there?" Daichi asked. "That's just how she is. She'll follow us to school if that's what you're concerned about."

* * *

They took the monorail to their destination and stood in their spots as a group. Emi was gritting her teeth and growling.

"… There's too many people here…" Emi muttered to herself.

Homura looked to Seth and noticed that he let out a loud sigh.

"Is something wrong, Seth?" Homura asked.

"It's just… I'm worried about my little brother." Seth answered. "I had to leave him back in Tokyo and there might be a chance I'll never see him again… I've been there all his life to protect him… That was who I was… But now…"

"Don't worry about it for now." Homura placed her hand on Seth's shoulder. "Think of this as a fresh start. I'm not saying to stop protecting your brother, but just find something else to forge your identity."

Seth thought about her words for a moment. *She has a point… Eventually, Luke will need to be on his own and I can't continue protecting him… With this fresh start, I should just accept anything that comes at me with an open mind.*

"We're almost there!" Homura pointed out the window. "Look outside!"

Just as they were passing a large building, they could finally see a large campus sitting right by the water.

*So that's Gekkoukan High School…* Seth thought. *It's huge…* He then turned to see Minato standing next to a brown-haired girl with a pink shirt and black skirt. *Is that Minato… Well, I shouldn't be surprised. He DID say he was attending… He can't be with Heiwa, but he must be a Persona user if he can walk around during the Dark Hour. I wonder if I should tell the others about him… On second thought, he might not be aware he has the potential. I'll just keep quiet about it for now.*

The monorail stopped and everyone got off. The five teens went to the bulletin board in the first floor lobby to look at the class assignments. Seth found his name under Class 2-F, which also listed 'Ryukawa, Homura' and 'Arisato, Minato'.

"Great, we're in the same homeroom, Seth!" Homura said, sounding excited.

*And so is Minato.* Seth though before turning to Homura and smiling. "It's always nice to know you'll be sharing a class with friends."

"Weird, I never thought you'd be this friendly, Carter-senpai." Daichi said. "I was expecting another moody and broody, like Emi-chan. Ow!"

Daichi felt something quickly kick him in the shin and he turned to see Emi looking like she hadn't moved an inch from that spot.

"Geez, learn to take a joke!" Daichi said.

"The opening ceremonies will be starting soon." Emi said.

"To the auditorium!" Nobuo proudly proclaimed before making a mad dash toward the auditorium.

"… Again, we don't know." Daichi shrugged.

"Did he check to see-" Seth was about to ask.

Nobuo ran back, examined the class assignments and ran back in the direction he came.

"Looks like somebody is looking for attention." Seth said.

"From what I hear, he's surprisingly quiet in class." Homura said.

"It's hard to imagine a guy like that sitting down without so much as a peep." Seth said.

The rest of them made their way to the auditorium for the opening ceremonies.

* * *

Elsewhere on Tatsumi Port Island in a large hotel room, a figure with a white cloak and hood stood in front of his wall-sized window to look out into the sunny city.

"He has returned…" They said. "And the moon is almost full… Soon our plans here will be set into motion…"

Emblazoned on the torso of his cloak was a black, upside-down A inside a circle that appeared to be on the palm of a hand.

"It almost makes me anxious for the Fall."

* * *

**A/N:** Before you make any assumptions, I didn't base Seth, or even Luke, on myself… sort of. What I mean is that I mainly based them off Anna and Elsa from _Frozen_ with Seth being like Anna and Luke being like Elsa; one's a social butterfly while the other is an awkward introvert. However, I did give them a few of my personality traits and if anything Luke is much more like me than Seth. Unfortunately, there will be little to no sight of Luke in this story because I'm saving him for a later story. As for certain plot holes such as how a small organization could have decent funding, those will be explained later in the story. Sorry I couldn't get a battle scene in, but I promise I will for the next chapter. I just wanted to focus on introducing the characters to start out, but I'll be fleshing them out a bit more in the next chapter as well. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed! Stay tuned for next time!


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's the next chapter! This time we'll be seeing our characters fight against Shadows. I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

_April 7, 2009, Tuesday, Morning_

In the school's auditorium, every student and teacher in the school was in attendance. As the principal's speech started to get too boring and long-winded, most of the students started talking much to the teachers' expense. Homura was still trying her best to pay attention to the speech, but the noise from the audience made it difficult to make anything out.

"Seth, do you know what he's-" Homura was about to ask Seth, who was sitting right next to her.

However, she noticed that Seth had nodded off in his seat. At first she tried to lightly tap his arm, only to have no response from him. After a couple of taps, she slapped him in the arm and his eyes shot open.

"Waazza!" Seth exclaimed as he snapped awake.

"Seth…" Homura whispered. "You fell asleep during the principal's speech!"

"Sorry…" Seth whispered back. "When it comes to school, I get bored easily."

"How long have you been asleep?"

"Um… Last I heard was something about a job worth doing."

"You've been asleep since the beginning?!"

"… No?"

Homura just sighed in exasperation.

* * *

_April 7, 2009, Tuesday, After School_

Once the last class had ended, Homura leaned in toward Seth, who was sitting in the seat right in front of him.

"Be back at the dorm by 8:00." She whispered. "I'll explain later."

"What?" Seth asked as he turned to face her.

Homura was already out of her seat and carrying her bags. "See you back at the dorm." She cheerily said before leaving the classroom.

Seth was left dumbfounded for a few seconds until he heard someone yelling.

"Listen!"

He looked to see Minato standing with a guy with a goatee and a girl wearing a pink shirt and black skirt arguing with the goatee guy.

"I just met him yesterday and there's absolutely nothing between us!" The girl yelled again before sighing. "Geez… I've gotta go. I've got something to take care of for the archery team. But you better not start any rumors!"

The girl walked away and Seth quietly chuckled to himself.

"Why do I get the feeling Homura and I would have had a very similar conversation?" Seth mumbled to himself.

"Ah, who cares?" The goatee guy scoffed. "No one takes rumors seriously, anyway. She's so paranoid…"

Seth walked up to Minato. "I see we're in the same class."

"Huh?" Minato turned around. "Oh, hey, Seth." He said in a voice that sounded almost uninterested.

"I see you've already made a few friends." Seth patted Minato on the shoulder before turning to Junpei. "The name's Seth Carter. I just transferred here, same as Minato here."

"I'm Junpei Iori." The goatee guy pointed his thumb to himself. "So you're American?"

"I moved to Japan a few years ago." Seth said. "Let's just say I have a new guardian looking after me."

"Something tells me it's gonna be a fun year." Junpei said. "I can feel it!"

The three guys left the school together, chatting about a variety of things before heading back to their respective dorms for the night.

* * *

_April 7, 2009, Tuesday, Evening_

Seth came back to the dorm to see Homura, Daichi, Nobuo and Emi sitting in the lounge.

"Good." Daichi said. "You made it. I'm missing the girls tonight."

"You have girlfriends?" Seth asked.

"He's talking about his porn." Emi said. "Mizushima's a complete perv."

"D-don't say that out loud!" Daichi panicked.

"Anyway, Ryukawa, mind telling our new recruit about the mission?" Nobuo asked.

"My first day here and there's already a mission?" Seth questioned. "I was hoping to be lazy for the next few days."

Homura nodded. "Seth, I heard from Headquarters that you're good with directions."

"I am." Seth said. "I have a really good memory when it comes to locations."

"Good, we'll need it for where we're going." Homura said.

"Huh?" Seth looked at them quizzically. "Where are we going?"

* * *

_April 7, 2009, Tuesday, Late Night_

Seth, Homura, Daichi, Emi and Nobuo, each armed with an Evoker, arrived at the closed gates of Gekkoukan High School, with nobody else around in the area. Daichi was also carrying a bunch of weapons: a pair of gauntlets, a large shield, a scythe, a double-sided sword and a revolver.

"What are we doing here?" Seth asked. "Are we sneaking into the school or something? I signed up to stop the Hands of Anarchy, not play practical jokes on the teachers."

"I wish we were doing that." Emi grumbled.

"It's almost midnight." Homura said as she checked her watch to see that it was 11:59.

"Take in the awesome sight you're about to see." Nobuo said.

"Seriously, who talks like that?" Seth asked in exasperation.

The clock struck midnight and the lighting turned green, signaling that the Dark Hour had come once again. The second the Dark Hour arrived, the school began to bend, twist, contort and transfigure until it took the form of an enormous tower. Seth looked in awe at the sight that occurred before him.

"What… What is this?" Seth asked.

"This is Tartarus." Homura answered. "Every night during the Dark Hour, the school transforms into this massive tower. When it's over, the school turns back to normal."

Seth looked back toward the main city to see that no other buildings had changed like the school did.

"How come the school changes shape, but nothing else?" Seth asked.

"That's what we're here to find out." Daichi replied. "We might find a clue within Tartarus. It's also a good place for us to strengthen our abilities."

"Countless Shadows are crawling all over the place in there." Nobuo said. "Fighting the enemy is the only way we can get stronger."

"I'm going to enjoy tearing those Shadows apart…" Emi mumbled.

Seth took a step back away from Emi in fear. "Shall we enter?"

The five of them entered the front gates of Tartarus and into a lobby-like area with a staircase leading to a large golden gate. Seth looked around to see that nothing else was there.

"I thought there were supposed to be Shadows here." Seth said.

"They patrol the floors beyond the staircase." Nobuo said.

"Since this is your first day, we'll just explore the first floor to give you a feel for the place." Daichi said. "Come on, let's get going."

They all started to walk toward the staircase until Seth stopped when he saw a blue butterfly fly right in front of him. Homura turned around to see him just staring at nothing.

"Seth, is something wrong?" Homura asked.

"Sorry, I just saw a butterfly." Seth shook his head.

"What butterfly?" Daichi asked as he looked around. "I don't see anything."

"It was glowing and blue." Seth said. "How could you not see it?"

Everyone just looked at him like he was crazy.

"… Okay, even I think he's acting a bit loopy." Nobuo said.

"Maybe we should wait until tomorrow." Daichi said. "Seth, you should really clear your head before coming to fight Shadows."

"I-I'm not hallucinating!" Seth argued. "I'm ready to fight! Isn't that why I was commissioned here?"

"Alright." Homura said. "But if you start spacing out during any battles, we're heading back to the dorm."

"You're too nice, Homura." Daichi said. "If only you were that nice when I look at your boobs."

Seth didn't pay much attention to it before, but Daichi's comment just made him realize that Homura had really large breasts. While he looked at them for a second, he just briefly jammed his eyes shut and opened them once that perverted thought was out of his head.

"A-anyway, let's get going." Seth said.

They entered the door at the top of the staircase that led to what appeared to be the school's hallway only the layout was completely different and puddles of blood could be seen on the ground.

"Not surprised the inside looks like our school." Seth said.

"Alright, here are our weapons." Daichi said.

Homura took the gauntlets and placed them on her hands, Nobuo took the revolver and loaded it with bullets and Emi took the scythe. Then Daichi walked up to Seth and handed him the double-sided sword.

"I was told this was your weapon of choice." Daichi said.

Seth took the sword and examined it.

"I'm curious." Daichi said. "Why did you choose that over a regular sword?"

"You get the versatility of a normal sword, but the double-sided one always reminds me of how even one mistake from me or my opponent can mean the difference between victory and defeat." Seth answered before looking at Emi. "So you use a scythe, too?"

"What's it to you?" Emi asked.

"Nothing, it's just… My little brother really likes that weapon…"

As Seth continued looking at the sword, memories of him and Luke started to surface.

_(Begin Flashback)_

_Seven years ago, in an American home's backyard Seth and Luke were playing with toy weapons. Seth was carrying a plastic double-sided store and Luke had a scythe from his previous Halloween costume as the Grim Reaper. They were pretending they were knights in a fantasy world they made up, playing and laughing the entire time._

_(End Flashback)_

Seth smiled and clenched his weapon tighter.

"Seth, are you okay?" Homura asked with genuine concern on her face.

"Are you spacing out again?" Daichi asked. "That's it, we're going home."

"Don't be such a dick." Seth said. "I'm raring to go."

"A Shadow's coming!" Emi said as she readied for battle.

In front of them appeared a black blob with arms coming out of its form and a blue mask on its face with the symbol 'I' on its forehead.

"It's a Cowardly Maya." Nobuo said. "This won't be a problem."

"Nobuo's right." Homura said. "This is one of the weaker Shadows. You can probably take it out on your own. You know how to fight Shadows, right?"

"Of course I do." Seth said. "Just aim for their weakness and once they're all down, we go all out." Seth pointed his Evoker at his head, ready to pull the trigger. "… Helios!"

Seth fired the Evoker and with the sound of shattering glass, behind him appeared a man with an eagle's head, red wings, talons for feet and wearing a golden cloak with a red cape. Helios held out its hand and a small burst of fire exploded in front of the Cowardly Maya, causing it to disintegrate upon defeat.

"Wow, you're pretty strong." Daichi said.

"A worthy ally to fight by our side." Nobuo nodded.

After Helios disappeared, Seth turned around to face them.

"… Before we continue on, I have a question." Seth said. "If you need a map, how come you just didn't draw one out as you explored?"

"The layout of Tartarus changes by the day." Homura answered. "A floor could be small and simply one day and incredibly large and complex the next. It's best to have someone with a really good sense of direction without a navigation Persona user to keep track of where we are."

"None of you seriously have any sense of direction?" Seth questioned.

Nobody responded to Seth's question.

"… Are you fucking kidding me?!" Seth shouted. "You're members of Heiwa! Wouldn't they make sure that their field agents have basic navigation skills? And while we're at it, how come you can't find your way through one floor of this place when you can find your way to school without any problems?!"

"… The school doesn't have Shadows trying to kill us." Daichi raised his finger.

Seth's eye twitched and he was about to yell again when he saw someone in a white cloak, a white cloth wrapped around their face to conceal its identity except for the eyes and wielding a halberd about to bring his weapon down on Daichi.

"BEHIND YOU!" Seth screamed.

Daichi tried to look behind him to see what Seth was talking about, but Nobuo tackled him and they both rolled out of the way as the halberd's blade struck the floor. Homura and Emi ran over to Seth's side and the former noticed the emblem on the figure's torso.

"He's with the Hands of Anarchy!" Homura shouted.

"Can we take him?" Seth asked.

"I don't think that' a good idea." Homura answered. "These guys are trained to kill us. We'll be lucky if any of us make it out alive."

"Then I'll buy you some time." Seth stepped forward with his double-sided sword in his right hand and his Evoker in his left.

"Seth, stop!" Homura tried to hold him back. "We have more experience fighting. It's better if you leave it to us."

"Did you just see the guy nearly split open Daichi's head?" Seth asked.

As Nobuo and Daichi regrouped with their allies, the latter contorted his lips in guilt from Seth's question.

"You four just get out of here." Seth said. "We don't know if this guy's alone or not."

"Seth…" Homura said.

"Go behind me, turn right and you should see the stairs back to the lobby." Seth interrupted.

"But-" Homura was about to say.

"Are you done yet?" The figure asked. "I've been nice enough to let your friend give you a chance to escape, but it won't matter. I can deal with him and come after the rest of you."

"I've had enough of this!" Seth said as he pointed his Evoker at his head. "I'm taking this guy on while the rest of you escape!" Then he thought to himself. *I can no longer protect Luke… but I can protect my friends!* "PERSONA!"

Seth ran toward the figure, shot his Evoker at his head and summoned Helios. A pillar of flames appeared behind him to block Homura, Daichi, Nobuo and Emi from the figure.

"Seth!" Homura shouted.

"Get going!" Seth shouted.

"We don't have any choice now." Nobuo said. "He's giving his life to save ours and there's no changing his mind."

Homura wanted to say something, but gave up and looked down at the ground.

"Let's go!" Emi said as she ran off.

Nobuo and Daichi ran off with Emi, but Homura looked back at the pillar of flames one more time before following the rest of her allies. On the other side of the flames, Seth and the figure stared each other down.

"You'll regret your decision to face me, boy." The figure said. "Hades!"

Behind the figure appeared a large man with most of his body surrounded in what looked like blue, ethereal flames, chains wrapped all over its body, gleaming red eyes and a muzzle made out of bones. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that there were screams coming from the flames, revealing that the flames were actually the souls of the dead. The figure held out his arm and a purple circle appeared in front of Seth.

"Oh, shit!" Seth quickly rolled to the side and avoided the purple stream that erupted from the circle. "I see you use Darkness skills."

"And you use Fire skills." The figure said. "But it seems your Persona is weak to Darkness skills."

"Well, time to show you what else I've got up my sleeve!" Seth said as he fired his Evoker at his head again.

As Helios appeared again, a circle of light appeared underneath the figure and he leapt out of the way to avoid the light stream that came out of it.

"I see you also use Light skills." The figure said. "But that won't save you."

"We'll see about that!" Seth said.

As the figure charged at Seth with his halberd, Seth fired his Evoker again and a small explosion of flames burst in front of the figure, leaving a small cloud of smoke. Seth kept his eyes on the cloud, waiting to see whether or not the figure survived the blast or not. In a flash, the figure leapt out of the smoke cloud and swung his halberd down. Seth tried to jump out of the way, but he was too slow and the blade chopped his right arm off with the double-sided sword still in it.

"GGGAAAAAAH!" Seth screamed in pain.

* * *

As soon as the rest of the Heiwa members arrived back at the Tartarus lobby, they saw no one else around.

"It seems like the coast is clear." Daichi said.

Daichi turned back to check on the others to see Homura looking back inside the labyrinth.

"Homura, come on." Daichi said. "We need to get out of here."

"… You guys go back to the dorm." Homura said.

"What?" Daichi asked.

"I'm going back to help Seth!" Homura said as she ran back into the labyrinth.

"Homura, stop!" Nobuo shouted.

"Let her go, Nobuo." Emi said before a devilish smirk scrawled over her face. "I have a feeling things are going to go our way."

* * *

As Seth was kneeling on the ground while clutching his dismembered arm, the figure pointed his halberd at his face.

"I told you it was futile." The figure said. "Now you'll die for your arrogance."

Seth just glared at the figure and gritted his teeth. "Heheheh… I'm not going to let you kill me…" He pointed his Evoker at his head once more. "I control my destiny! PERSONA!"

After shooting the Evoker at his head again, a man wearing golden armor with its face concealed in shadows except for its white eyes underneath a golden helmet adorned with red feathers and carrying a spear and a shield.

"Two Personas?!" The figure gasped.

"_Thou art I, I am thou."_ The new manifestation said. _"From the sea of thine soul, I cometh. I am Jason, the Golden Hero."_

With a thrust of his spear, Jason pierced the figure's left arm, causing it to fall to the ground.

"GRAAAAAGH!" The figure shouted as he clutched the wound and looked at Seth and Jason in profound fear. "What… What are you?!"

Seth smirked and Jason pierced the figure through the chest. The figure gargled blood until he took his last breath and the life disappeared from his body. With the battle over, the flames dissipated, Jason disappeared and Seth fell to the ground in exhaustion.

"What… what did I just do…" Seth muttered under his breath.

"Seth!" He could hear Homura's voice calling to him as she ran to his side. "SETH! Oh my God, your arm!"

Seth lost consciousness just as he saw Homura's body kneeling next to him.

* * *

**A/N:** What just happened? I think it's pretty obvious. If Aigis was able to awaken to the power of the wild card, so can anyone else if they have the potential. I do plan on making Social Links for Seth, though I don't plan to make as many of them as original as possible. As for the new Persona Seth acquired, it is Jason from the legend _Jason and the Argonauts_. For anyone who still thinks Seth isn't very interesting, something you'll notice next chapter is that he has no regard for his own physical health, in both good and bad ways. In other news, wasn't that _Persona 5_ trailer awesome? That only raised more questions about the game. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Stay tuned for next time!


	3. Chapter 3

**Here's the next chapter! I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

Seth felt like he was regaining consciousness and found himself in what appeared to be an ascending elevator with blue furnishings, including a table and a couple of chairs on each side.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room."

Seth noticed he was sitting in one of the chairs, his right arm still missing, and sitting across from him was a creepy-looking old man with crazy eyes and a long nose with a girl and a young man standing by each side. Both the girl and man had glowing yellow eyes and wore what appeared to be blue and black uniforms like they were the elevator's attendants.

"Where… where am I?" Seth asked. "Am I dead?"

"You are fast asleep in the real world." The man with the long nose said. "My name is Igor. I am delighted to make your acquaintance." He then motioned his hands toward the young man and girl. "This is Theodore and Elizabeth. They are residents here, like myself."

"It's an honor to meet you." Theodore politely bowed to Seth.

"Pleased to meet you." Elizabeth greeted.

"But that still doesn't answer my first question." Seth said.

"This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter." Igor replied. "I find your presence here quite curious. You are not the guest we were expecting."

"What are you talking about?" Seth asked. "Was there someone else that's supposed to be here?"

"Perhaps this will clarify things." Igor motioned his hands and a series of cards spread out on the table. He flipped over one of the cards to show a tarot card with another underneath it. "It seems your original Arcana was that of the Sun, but a recent change in your psyche has awakened you to the power of the Fool."

Seth didn't quite understand what he was talking about.

"He's referring to fortune telling." Theodore said. "Each Persona is aligned with a particular Arcana and their users tend to have the same one."

"Normally, only those who have entered a contract can enter the Velvet Room." Elizabeth said. "Shall we kick him out?"

Seth thought about everything he took in for a moment and processed all the information given.

"… I'm willing to sign a contract." Seth said. "But I just have one question before I do. This 'change in my psyche'… Will this new power allow me to protect my friends?"

"The only catch of this contract is that you must assume all responsibility for the choices that you make." Igor said. "Whatever you do with this newfound power is up to you."

"Then I'll gladly sign." Seth said before realizing his missing arm. "Please pardon me if my signature is awful. I usually write with my right hand."

With a snap of his fingers, Igor summoned a slip of paper and a pen that Seth grabbed with his left hand and to the best of his ability inscribed his signature on the bottom of the contract. It was sloppy, but Igor accepted it regardless.

"Hold on to this." Igor said.

A blue key appeared in front of Seth and he picked it out of the air.

"So what exactly is this 'power of the Fool'?" Seth asked.

"The Fool, or the wild card, is like the number 0." Igor stated. "Empty, yet filled with infinite possibilities."

"In other words, you have the ability to summon multiple Personae." Theodore said.

"Theo, don't interrupt the Master!" Elizabeth snapped at him.

"This power grows stronger as you develop your emotional ties with others." Igor continued. "The stronger those ties, the more powerful your Persona ability."

Seth looked down at his left hand and clenched it tightly.

"Until we meet again. Farewell."

Everything started to fade and Seth felt like he was losing consciousness again.

* * *

_April 11, 2009, Saturday, After School_

Seth was beginning to regain consciousness, but his vision was incredibly blurry and he could make out a few voices in the room.

"He's been out of it for nearly three days now."

"Maybe he'll never wake up."

"Emi, don't say things like that!"

As Seth's vision started to clear up, he saw that he was in a hospital room with Homura, Daichi, Nobuo and Emi, the last of whom was standing by the corner. When they all saw that he was awake, the first three all gave wide open smiles of joy.

"You're awake!" Homura nearly tackled Seth into a hug.

"Gah! My arm!" Seth exclaimed in pain before noticing something. "… My arm…"

Seth looked down to see that his right arm was reattached to his body and held by a cast.

"Lucky bastard." Daichi grumbled as he saw Homura hugging Seth, but then smiled. "But seriously, I'm glad you're okay."

"Wait, how is my arm back on my body?" Seth asked.

"My Persona uses Ice skills." Daichi said. "I used that to put your arm on ice until we got to the hospital so they could reattach it. Thankfully the Dark Hour ended just as soon as we got you here."

"I'm impressed, though." Nobuo said. "You took on a Hand of Anarchy and emerged victorious."

"Hey, you're almost talking like a normal person, Nobuo." Seth said.

"I… I usually act like that after reading a comic book." Nobuo nervously rubbed the back of his head.

"We were all worried about you, Seth." Homura said. "Even Emi."

"I was not…" Emi turned away to face the corner she was in. "… But I didn't want him to die."

"… I'll take that as a 'she cares'." Seth said. "… Wait, you said I was out for three days?"

"Yeah." Homura nodded.

"Crap, I better take care of my homework!" Seth was about to get off the bed, but Homura pushed him down.

"The doctor said he doesn't want you to leave until your stitches can be removed." Homura said.

"Schoolwork is more important." Seth said. "Besides, it's only a scratch."

"A scratch?! Your arm came off!" Daichi exclaimed. "Besides, don't most people like it when they're off from school and don't have to do homework?"

"I like to keep on top of things." Seth replied before turning to Homura. "Homura, next time, can you bring over my homework so that I can work on it here? I can do the work on my own, but I'd appreciate it if you could write it down for me."

"Sure." Homura nodded. "By the way, I saw how you defeated that Hand of Anarchy. How did you do that?"

"'That'?" Seth asked as he tried to remember. "Oh, you mean THAT! I can summon multiple Personas now."

Everyone looked at him in surprise.

"Wait, what?!" Nobuo exclaimed.

"Nothing like that's ever happened in a long, long time." Daichi said.

"Well, I guess that settles it." Homura stood up straight. "From now on, you're our group leader, Seth."

Everyone was a little surprised to hear this.

"Huh? W-what?" Seth asked.

"You're quick thinking and abilities allowed us all to survive." Homura stated. "For a while now, I've led our little group, but when I saw you take charge back there it made me realize that you'd make a better leader than me."

"B-but I'm not leader material." Seth said. "I prefer to be the soldier than the commander."

"If you couldn't do it, I wouldn't ask you." Homura said. "Plus, we all agree that you're the best suited to lead us."

"Well… If you insist, then I'll do it." Seth said with an assuring smirk.

"I'm glad to hear it." Homura happily smiled.

"… Tell him about the other night." Emi spoke up.

"Oh, right! I forgot!" Homura replied. "The other night we had Emi search the city for reconnaissance. A giant Shadow appeared and someone tried fighting it, only to get hurt. Why Emi didn't help him is anybody's guess." Homura turned to leer at Emi.

"It wasn't any of my business and I couldn't afford to be seen." Emi said.

"Anyway, he summoned a Persona and the Shadow chased him back to one of the dorms." Homura continued. "The next day while nobody was home, Emi snuck in to gather some information. It turns out a few other Persona users live in that dorm."

"So we could have potential allies?" Seth asked.

"Or we could have potential enemies." Emi said.

"Heiwa gave us strict orders to remain conspicuous, even to other Persona users." Daichi stated.

"Based on what Emi told us, two of the dorm's residents are classmates of yours." Nobuo said.

"Seriously?!" Seth exclaimed.

"Since you've already been acquainted with them, we figured you could get invited to the dorm and see if anyone else lives there." Nobuo said. "Once you're out of the hospital, of course."

"How long will that take?" Seth asked.

"About three weeks." Nobuo answered.

"Three weeks?!"Seth exclaimed. "I can't stay cooped up in this bed for three weeks! Wouldn't it get annoying having Homura writing both our homework?"

"I don't mind." Homura said.

"I still don't like the idea of lying in this bed for three weeks." Seth pouted.

* * *

_April 12, 2009, Saturday, Daytime_

Seth was lying in his bed, watching whatever was on the television at the time since there was nothing else he could do for entertainment.

He sighed. "This is getting so boring… Can't I at least walk around the hospital? That way I can get fresh air and exercise?"

"Hey, how's it goin'?"

Seth looked toward the door and saw Junpei enter wearing his casual clothes.

"Junpei? What are you doing here?" Seth asked.

"I don't know if it's funny or not that two friends of mine are both in the hospital." Junpei shrugged. "But at least you're awake."

"What are you talking about?" Seth asked.

"Minato's in the hospital, too. He's completely out cold right now, but the doctors say he's alive."

"What happened?"

"Dunno. But I heard you got your arm chopped off."

"Yeah… Wasn't exactly pleasant…"

"I wouldn't think so…"

"To add insult to injury, I'm stuck in this hospital for three weeks."

"At least you don't have to be stuck in classes."

"That's funny because… I'd rather be in school than in this bed. At least I'm doing something other than watching random TV sixteen hours a day with my only reprieves when I have to go to the bathroom. At least you and my other friends coming to visit keep me from getting bored."

"So, how is it to have Hottie Homura coming to your bedside every day?"

"Is that what people call her? That's kind of degrading."

"'Hottie' is a compliment. Besides, you're not the only one getting some attention. Yuka-tan's sitting by Minato's side as we speak. What's your secret?"

"Huh?"

"How do you two get chicks like that? Clearly there's something you're not telling the rest of us guys."

Seth chuckled at Junpei's comment. "I really needed that. Thanks for coming to visit me, Junpei."

"No problem, man."

Seth and Junpei spent the next hour or so just talking about girls before he left home for the night.

* * *

_April 13, 2009, Monday, After School_

While Seth was napping from the boring television program, Homura came into the room with two school bags. At first, she just watched him sleeping with a peaceful look on his face and smiled. After a few seconds she walked over to his bed and gently shook his arm.

"Seeeeth… Wake up…" She quietly whispered to him.

However, he was still napping and Homura walked over to the other side of his bed with a look of slight irritation on her face.

"… Wake up, please!"

She punched Seth in his left arm and he finally woke up.

"DYAH!" Seth exclaimed from being startled.

"Good afternoon, sleepyhead." Homura said with an innocent smile on her face now. "I brought today's homework over for you."

She handed him a few slips of paper and he read them while holding them in his left hand. For the next couple of hours, Seth asked Homura any questions he had about the homework assignments since he couldn't read the books or be there for the lectures.

* * *

The sun had almost reached the horizon when Seth and Homura finally finished their homework for the day.

"Phew… Glad that's over with for now." Seth said. "Thanks for all your help. I wouldn't have been able to solve these if weren't for your notes."

"You're welcome." Homura said as she began to pack her things. "Do you mind if I stay a little bit longer? I just want to talk."

"About you-know-what?" Seth asked.

"No, JUST talk." She answered before sitting back in the seat next to Seth's bed. "You mentioned you had a broth… Ah… Ah… Achoo!"

Homura sneezed into her left sleeve.

"Bless you." Seth said.

"Oh no!" Homura gasped.

"What?"

"I sneezed on my left!"

"… So?"

"I'm going to be stricken with bad luck until I sneeze into my left again and then my right!"

"… You're kidding, right?"

"I never kid when it comes to bad luck." Homura showed Seth the omamori she kept tied to her bag. "Quick! Make me sneeze again!"

"Don't you think you're being a bit paranoid?"

"NO!"

Homura grabbed the flowers sitting on the table next to Seth's bed and shoved them into her face. Seth just stared at Homura as she went about her little episode. After several seconds of sniffing the flowers, she stopped and placed them back on the table.

"I'll be right back!" She dashed out of the room.

Seth just continued to stare at the door without any idea of how to respond until she finally came back.

"Phew…" She sighed in relief as she made her way back to the seat next to Seth's bed. "My luck's finally back to normal. Anyway, I wanted to talk to you about your little brother. What's he like?"

"He's only two years younger than me and… How do I put it? You know how I'm incredibly friendly and a social butterfly?"

"Yeah."

"He's the opposite of that. He can't stand people other than me and our parents. But he's really a sweetheart. I just hope he can find himself a girlfriend that can help bring him out of his shell."

"Sounds like you're quite the sweetheart, yourself." Homura realized what she had just said and blushed. "Uh, don't… take that the wrong way. What about your parents?"

"They're both in the U.S. Marines. It's not often my brother and I get to see them."

"I'm sorry to hear that. I don't get to see my parents often either."

"Work?"

"Yep. My father's a professional sumo wrestler and my mother's his agent."

"Um… I wasn't expecting that. Any brothers or sisters?"

She shook her head. "I'm an only child. It must be nice to have a brother or sister." She then looked at the clock. "I should get going now. I'll come back tomorrow after school so we can talk more."

Homura left the hospital room and Seth grabbed the television remote with his left hand.

"Guess it's back to boring old television for now." He said to himself. "Oh well. At least this is when the entertaining programming comes on."

* * *

_April 29, 2009, Wednesday, Early Morning_

Seth was finally leaving the hospital after three weeks without the use of his right arm, all the stitches removed. He decided to head to school so he could get back into the groove of his normal routine and took the train to Gekkoukan campus. When he finally arrived on campus, he saw that the entire place was empty.

"… Where the hell is everybody?" Seth wondered.

_Light the fire up in the night!_

Seth heard his phone go off and answered it.

"Hello?"

"_Seth, where are you?"_ Homura's voice asked over the phone. _"We're at the hospital right now, but they said you left a little while ago."_

"Why are you at the hospital?" Seth asked. "Shouldn't you be in school?"

"… _Are you on campus right now?"_

"Yeah, why?"

"_Give me the phone."_

He could hear Emi's voice asking Homura to hand her the phone and after a bit of arguing, a voice finally came through.

"_It's Showa Day."_ Emi said. _"There's no school today, you moron."_

Seth just remained silent, looked at the school again and blankly stared into space.

"… Crap… Anyway, what were you guys thinking about doing today?"

"_Emi, could you please give me back my phone?"_ Homura's voice asked from the other end. _"We were thinking about going to Screen Shot to catch a movie. You want to meet us there, Seth?"_

"Sure. Can you give me directions from the school?"

* * *

_April 29, 2009, Wednesday, Morning_

Seth was making his way to the movie theater 'Screen Shot' and finally arrived at Port Island Station. Just as he walking down the steps, he passed by a beautiful red-haired woman walking in the opposite direction and looked back at her until she was out of sight.

"Hey, Seth!"

Seth looked down the steps to see Homura, Daichi, Nobuo and Emi all grouped together by a movie theater and waving at him. Seth finally reached them and nervously scratched the back of his head.

"Sorry about that." Seth said. "I'm still not familiar with all the Japanese holidays."

"Did she catch your eye, Seth?" Daichi asked with a smug grin.

"Huh?" Seth raised an eyebrow.

"You just passed by Mitsuru Kirijo, arguably the hottest lady in our school, aside from Homura maybe." Daichi said.

Homura felt a little insulted by Daichi's comment.

"She's also the student council president and a senior." Nobuo added.

"Kirijo…" Seth mumbled. "Wait! Kirijo as in the Kirijo Group?!"

"She's the daughter of the current leader." Homura said.

"I didn't know we had someone that big in our school!" Seth exclaimed.

"Of course you didn't…" Emi mumbled.

"Crap, our movie's about to start!" Daichi panicked and went into Screen Shot.

The others followed suit and went inside with him.

* * *

**A/N:** There's the chapter! I hope you all enjoyed it! As for the current Social Link stats, here they are.

**Heiwa (Fool) – Rank 1**

**Junpei (Magician) – Rank 1**

**Homura (Lovers) – Rank 1**

By the way, I hope you enjoyed my little references to Monty Python and Persona Q. And Minato is going to get Elizabeth while Seth gets Theo. Stay tuned for next time!


	4. Chapter 4

**Seth starts a couple more Social Links and finally gets to see the base of operations for SEES. I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

_April 30, 2009, Thursday, Early Morning_

Seth and Homura were heading toward their homeroom and about to walk up to the staircase.

"Seth, would you mind carrying me up the steps?" Homura asked.

"Why?" Seth asked.

"There are thirteen steps on each flight." Homura said. "I tried going over the last one, but I always nearly fall down."

Seth sighed and scratched the back of his head. "Okay. Get on my back."

Seth squatted down with his hands behind him and Homura climbed onto his back. As Seth picked her up by her legs, the other students in the area couldn't help but stare at the two going up the steps.

"Hey, that American transfer student is carrying Hottie Homura up the stairs."

"Does that mean they're a couple?"

"I bet she's just curious if he's got a big dick."

Seth overheard the gossip and angrily thought to himself. *Do they really think we're THAT shallow?*

They reach the top of the steps and Seth let Homura down.

"Phew, thanks a lot, Seth." Homura said. "I owe you one."

They started to make their way to their homeroom.

"By the way, you mentioned about someone in our class possibly being a Persona-user?" Seth quietly asked.

"You should know him when you see him." Homura quietly answered. "He has shaggy blue hair and blue eyes."

*She talking about him, isn't she?* Seth thought.

They entered their homeroom class and Homura slightly motioned her head and eyes toward Minato, who was simply sitting at his desk waiting for class to start.

*She is.*

* * *

_April 30, 2009, Thursday, Daytime_

As Ms. Toriumi was giving her lecture for the day's class, Seth kept darting his eyes between Minato and his note-taking.

*So my hunch was correct.* Seth thought. *Minato IS a Persona user. But who is he working for? And why? … Crap! I'm missing the lecture!*

Seth quickly returned back to his note-taking, trying desperately to keep up with Ms. Toriumi's lecture.

* * *

_April 30, 2009, Thursday, After School_

With classes done for the day, Seth walked over to Minato while Homura quietly watched him.

"Minato, how are you doing?" Seth asked.

"Oh, hey." Minato said plainly. "Junpei told me you got your arm cut off."

"Yeah, thank God they were able to reattach it." Seth said.

"I know what it's like to be in the hospital for a long time. I was in a coma for over a week recently."

"You're kidding! How did that happen?!"

"I must've just been tired." Minato shrugged.

"Bullshit… Anyway, I was wondering if I could come over to your dorm later?"

"Why?"

"… Because I love you, man…" Seth placed his hand on Minato's shoulder.

There was awkwardness in the air as most of the class stared at them. Homura just sighed in exasperation and slapped herself in the face.

* * *

_April 30, 2009, Thursday, Evening_

Minato and Seth walked all the way to the former's dormitory, the street lights and windows illuminating the dark city streets. Minato opened the front door and Seth examined the interior of the first floor.

"This is a nice dorm you've got here." Seth said. "Certainly better than mine."

"Yo, Seth!"

Seth looked forward to see Junpei coming down the staircase towards him.

"What brings you here?" Junpei asked.

"I just wanted Minato to show me the dorm." Seth answered. "So you live here, too, Junpei?"

"Sure do." Junpei replied.

"Is this just a boys' dorm?" Seth inquired.

"Thankfully this dorm ain't no sausage fest." Junpei said.

"The boys' rooms are on the second floor and the girls' rooms are on the third floor." Minato stated.

"Who else lives here?" Seth asked.

"Minato, who's there?"

A girl came down the same flight of stairs.

*Isn't she that girl Minato came to school with on the first day?* Seth thought before speaking. "I'm Seth Carter, a fellow classmate of Minato and Junpei."

"Oh yeah." She said. "You're that American transfer student. I, uh, didn't think you swung that way."

"Uh… yeah, I watched too many sitcoms growing up." Seth nervously chuckled. "Anyway, might I know your name?"

"I'm Yukari Takeba. I'm in the same class as you guys."

"Are you the only lady in this dorm?" Seth asked.

"Takeba, who are you talking to?"

Seth noticed another person coming down the stairs and it was the same woman he saw the other day.

"Misturu Kirijo." Seth said.

"I'm sorry, have we met before?" Mitsuru asked.

"No, I just heard about you from my friends." Seth answered calmly. "I'm Minato, Yukari and Junpei's classmate, Seth Carter. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise, Carter-kun." Mitsuru said.

"Please don't call me that." Seth said. "Seth-kun is fine."

"Well, sorry to be rude, but you should head home now." Mitsuru said. "It's getting rather late."

"You have a point." Seth said. "My friends are probably waiting for me back at the dorm. Thanks for letting me see your dorm, Minato. Sorry I couldn't stay any longer."

Seth left the front door and walked away on the streets. When he was gone and out of possible earshot, Mitsuru had a serious look on her face.

"I'm sorry to send your friend away so early, but something was off about him." Mitsuru said.

"So it's not just me." Yukari said.

"You think Seth is suspicious?" Junpei questioned. "C'mon, he's harmless!"

"Didn't you say his arm had to get reattached?" Mitsuru asked.

"Well… Yeah, but maybe he got in an accident." Junpei replied.

Mitsuru then turned to Minato. "Minato, have you noticed anything suspicious about Carter? Anything at all?"

"Well…" Minato said as he thought back to when he first met Seth. "I met him when I first got here, just before the Dark Hour came. But when it did, he never turned into a coffin like everyone else."

"… I see…" Mitsuru contemplated the information just given to her.

"Wait, Mitsuru-senpai…" Yukari said. "Do you think Seth might have the potential?"

"It might be more than that." Mitsuru replied. "It's best to be wary around him for now."

* * *

Seth returned back to his dorm where Homura, Daichi, Nobuo and Emi were waiting for him.

"So, have you found out anything?" Homura asked.

"I couldn't stay long, but I did find out who lives in the dorm." Seth answered. "Of the people I met there, there was Minato Arisato, Yukari Takeba and Junpei Iori of Class 2-F, and the Mitsuru Kirijo."

They all looked surprised at him hearing that name.

"K-Kirijo?!" Homura asked.

"Yeah, that woman I saw yesterday back at the movies." Seth responded.

"I wonder if she knows about Heiwa…" Daichi said.

"I'm confused here." Seth said.

"The Kirijo Group may not have founded Heiwa, but they are the ones that provide us with funds." Daichi said.

"So she's our ally?" Seth asked.

"Well… You see…" Homura said.

"To keep Heiwa secret, the only person who knows about it is the current head, Takeharu Kirijo." Emi stated.

"So, what should we do?" Seth asked.

"For now, there's nothing we can do." Homura answered. "There's nothing we HAVE to do. If Mitsuru Kirijo is involved, I don't think we have to worry about them."

"… I'm sorry. Could you go into more detail, please?" Seth asked.

"Our intel says that the Kirijo Group is seeking a way to destroy the Shadows." Daichi said. "Our only concern is keeping our operations low profile."

* * *

_May 1, 2009, Friday, After School_

After another day of classes, Seth was getting up from his desk when Daichi came into the room and walked up to him.

"Hey, Seth, if you're not busy, can you do me a favor?" Daichi asked.

"If it's to get your hands on some dirty magazines, I don't want any part in it." Seth said.

"Come on, have more faith in me." Daichi said. "I just need to pick up some computer supplies for the dorm. I'd take care of it myself, but there's too much stuff to take on my own, everyone else is busy and it's too risky and expensive to have it delivered."

"How far is this place, anyway?"

"It's in Palownia Mall, why?"

"Even if it's expensive, wouldn't it be safer to have the stuff delivered in packages? That way no one jumps either of us on the way home and steals it?"

"Heheh… You have a point… But too late now. I'll be sure to remember it for next time."

"Well, for now I'll help you out."

* * *

Seth and Daichi walked all the way back to the dorm and put their packages of computer supplies down on the floor.

"Thanks for the help." Daichi said. "Now I can get started and build our new communications systems."

"I didn't know you were good with machines." Seth said.

"I've always had a fascination with machines." Daichi said. "Especially with the birth of the internet. I still remember how mad my dad got when I took apart our tower. Anyway, Homura tells me you have a little brother back at headquarters."

"Yeah, he means everything to me."

"You seriously need a girlfriend."

"Well, that's your opinion. While we're on topic, what kind of girls do you like?"

"Well, I'd really like her to have a nice body, for one."

"Of course."

"But I'd also like her to be nice, a good cook and great with kids. How about you?"

"Honestly, I don't care about her body."

"Wow, how lame, man… Don't go telling me you didn't enjoy Homura-chan's breasts pressing against your back when you carried her up the stairs this morning."

"I didn't even notice." Seth's face became flushed.

"That blush on your face says otherwise." Daichi chuckled as he turned away and rummaged through one of the boxes. "Anyway, could you help me organize some of this stuff? That way things are easier to find."

"Done."

Daichi turned around to see that Seth had already organized everything from the box he was carrying.

"Wow! That was quick!" Daichi exclaimed.

"I'm kind of obsessive-compulsive." Seth said. "If I see something unorganized, I have to… Well, organize it. My brother's the same way except he's even worse than I am. He must wash his hands at least ten times a day."

"Heheh, I thought you would be boring, but you're a lot more interesting than I initially thought."

"Need help with anything else?"

"No thanks, but it's nice that you asked."

* * *

_May 1, 2009, Friday, Evening_

Seth was in his bedroom reading manga on his bed when he heard a knock on his door.

"Seth, it's Homura." Homura said from the hallway. "Would you mind coming upstairs? There's something we have to show you."

"Hold on, I'm almost done with this chapter." Seth said.

"Can't you just-" Homura was about to say.

"Done." Seth got up and went to his door to see Homura. "All right, let's go."

Seth and Homura went to the third floor, which had four rooms like the second floor, and she led him to one of the rooms where Daichi, Nobuo and Emi were waiting with a large computer behind them.

"Thanks again for the help earlier." Daichi said. "Otherwise I wouldn't have been able to finish this."

"Just think of Daichi as our tech expert of the group." Homura said.

"Where does that leave everyone else then?" Seth asked.

"Emi is recon, you're the leader and I'm the medic." Homura answered. "Which just leaves Nobuo as the muscle."

"I resent that." Nobuo said.

"Anyway, we can now communicate with headquarters thanks to this large computer behind us." Daichi said. "And it can operate during the Dark Hour, too."

"That's good." Seth said.

"That's all you have to say about it?" Daichi questioned as he slumped in disappointment.

"Yeah." Seth replied.

"… I'm just going to curl up in the corner now." Daichi said as he walked away.

"So, you guys up for Tartarus, tonight?" Seth asked.

"Are you sure?" Homura asked.

"I've been itching for some Shadow hunting these last few weeks." Seth answered.

"I know the feeling." Nobuo said. "When a man's blood is boiling, he needs to let out that pent up energy."

Emi sighed. "Why am I not surprised that you agree?"

* * *

_May 1, 2009, Friday, Dark Hour_

Seth, Homura, Daichi, Nobuo and Emi arrived at the main lobby in Tartarus and Seth noticed a blue door standing to the left of the staircase.

"Do you guys see that door over there?" Seth asked.

Everyone looked over to where Seth was pointing, but they didn't see anything.

"Didn't we go through this when we first came here?" Daichi questioned. "You said you saw a butterfly last time."

Seth thought about it for a moment and figured it would be best not to worry everyone, but he was still curious about the door.

"Perhaps I just need a moment to clear my head." Seth said as he walked toward the door and opened it up to be blinded by a bright light.

* * *

The light faded and Seth found himself in the Velvet Room once again, with Igor and Theodore in the same place as last time except Elizabeth wasn't there.

"It is a pleasure to see you again." Igor said. "And it seems you have already established your Social Links."

"Social Links?" Seth asked.

"Do you remember when I said that the strengthening of your ties with others increases your Persona ability?" Igor asked.

"So I've gotten stronger by simply hanging out with my friends?" Seth inquired.

"Indeed." Igor answered.

"Allow me to explain." Theodore said. "When you encounter the Shadows, you'll notice that you have more Personas to choose from in battle."

"So that's the power of the wild card…" Seth muttered to himself.

"You have a long journey ahead of you and for that, you'll require our assistance." Igor said. "Just training your current Personas is not enough. The most efficient way to get stronger is through Persona Fusion. I can fuse multiple Personas into one that is far more powerful. That Persona is further strengthened through the power of your Social Links."

"I like the sound of that." Seth said. "I appreciate the help. Well, I should probably get going. My friends are waiting for me."

"Before you go, I have a favor to ask." Theodore said. "I feel awfully confined in the Velvet Room. When you get a chance, I would like to see the outside world sometime."

"No problem, Theo." Seth said.

"Thank you very much." Theodore politely bowed.

"Until we meet again. Farewell." Igor said.

* * *

Seth found himself back on the first floor of Tartarus with his friends waiting by the staircase.

"Alright, guys!" Seth said. "I think I've cleared my head long enough. Before we go, can you tell me what you guys specialize in?"

"I'm basically a glass cannon medic." Homura said. "I fight best with my fists and my magic skills aren't particularly devastating, but I have a massive pool of spiritual power so I can heal us. My Persona can use Lightning skills, but I'm weak against Fire skills." (In other words, good physical attacks and weak magic attacks, low HP and high SP.)

"I'm kind of the exact opposite." Daichi said. "I have high defense and attack power, but my magic isn't very good at all. I'm good at Ice skills, but Wind skills can tear through my defenses."

"I'm really good with magic, but my defense and physical attacks are very low, especially to Lightning and Light skills." Emi said. "But that won't matter should my Darkness and Wind skills strike first."

"I have powerful physical skills and decent defense, but my magic is slightly below average." Nobuo said. "And my Persona can use Fire skills, but I'm weak against Wind skills."

"Good to know." Seth said. "Now I know you're strength and weaknesses so I can plan accordingly. I'd rather ask you now than in the middle of a fight."

"Good thinking." Daichi said.

Seth looked down at the floor and mumbled to himself. "I'm not going to let anyone die on my watch… Even if it costs me my life…"

"Did you say something, Seth-kun?" Homura asked.

Seth shook his head. "Don't worry about it, Homura. Let's get going."

The five of them went up the staircase and into the labyrinth of Tartarus, which had a different layout from the previous night they were there. As they made their way through the corridors with their respective weapons and Evokers in hand, a trio of Cowardly Maya came toward them.

"You already showed us your Persona, now it's time to show you ours." Nobuo said.

Homura, Nobuo and Emi walked forward, pulled out their Evokers and pointed them at their heads.

"Aphrodite!" Homura fired her Evoker.

"Hephaestus!" Nobuo fired his Evoker.

"Persephone!" Emi fired her Evoker.

Aphrodite appeared as a gorgeous woman with her flowing blonde hair completely covering her face and bare breasts with her only article of clothing being a violet toga and a golden sash keeping it tied. Hephaestus was a large, red giant holding hammers tied to chains that were wrapped all around his body, but not enough to restrict his movements at all, and his entire body completely charred to the point where it almost looked like it would crack from the slightest touch. Perspehone was a skeleton woman with an elongated black robe that seemed to trail far behind her. With a blast of lightning, wind and fire striking each of the Shadows, they all disintegrated into nothing from the power of the attacks.

"We haven't just sat around doing nothing while you were in the hospital." Homura said.

A new type of Shadow started to float toward them.

"That's a Muttering Tiara." Nobuo said. "I'm in charge of the names, by the way."

"I've got this!" Daichi walked forward and pointed the Evoker at his head. "Heracles!"

A muscle man with bulging abs and silver armor appeared and punched the Muttering Tiara into dust.

"Wow! You guys sure are tough!" Seth said. "Come on, let's see how far we can go!"

* * *

**A/N:** I hope you enjoyed the chapter! I don't think I'll be getting to the Reverse Priestess until after the next chapter, as I want to start the Social Links for Nobuo and Emi next time as well as his. Speaking of Social Links, here are the current states and Personae relating to them:

**Heiwa (Fool) – Rank 1 (Jason)**

**Junpei (Magician) – Rank 1 (Nekomata)**

**Homura (Lovers) – Rank 1 (Pixie)**

**Daichi (Strength) – Rank 1 (Valkyrie)**

Anyway, stay tuned for next time!


	5. Chapter 5

**Hopefully this chapter might be a little more interesting than the last. I added a personality trait for Seth that's sure to make him a more interesting character. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

_May 2, 2009, Saturday, Early Morning_

Seth had just finished taking his morning shower, since he couldn't take a bath the night before when they went to Tartarus. Their expedition went on for about three floors, so they definitely felt like they made some sort of progress. His towel was hanging over his shoulder, his naked body not covered by anything, as he went over to his miniature fridge to grab a can of lemon soda.

Knock, knock.

"Seth, are you in there?" Daichi asked from the hallway on the other side of the closed door.

"Yeah, come in." Seth answered before taking a swig of his soda.

"I just wanted to-" Daichi opened the door, but quickly covered his eyes with his arm upon seeing the nude Seth. "Oh, God! Put some clothes on!"

"What's the problem?" Seth questioned. "We're both guys."

"Daichi, what's wro-" Homura then came by, saw Seth naked, blushed furiously and covered her eyes with her hands. "AH!"

"You have a problem seeing me naked, too, Homura?" Seth asked.

"You don't even cover up when girls are around?" Daichi asked.

"We all see what people look like when they're naked at some point." Seth replied. "Why not now?"

"Because we don't want to see you naked!" Daichi exclaimed.

"But Homura already saw me naked the other day." Seth stated. "There's no surprise anymore."

"Wait, you what?!" Daichi turned to Homura with a shocked expression on his face.

"I-It's not what you think!" Homura panicked. "I just forgot to knock while he was changing! That's it! … Wait… Seth, did you only have an issue with me not knocking before entering?" She was about to look at Seth again, but she remembered that he was naked and covered her eyes again.

"Seeing me naked isn't a problem at all." Seth answered. "I just thought it wasn't polite that you just came into my room without knocking."

"Well, just get dressed and come downstairs so we can all head to school." Daichi said.

The two of them left and closed the door behind them, leaving Seth to change into his school clothes.

* * *

_May 2, 2009, Saturday, Lunchtime_

With everyone either leaving the classroom to get something to eat or staying in to eat the lunches they brought, Seth stretched as he got out of his seat.

"Ngggggh!" He groaned. "I think I'll go for a walk."

Seth pulled out a candy bar from his bag and made his way out of the classroom. Just as he did, Junpei walked up to him.

"Yo, Seth, how's it goin'?" Junpei asked.

"The lectures get kind of boring." Seth replied. "Half of me is trying to take notes while the other half is trying not to fall asleep, partly because I have a sleeping problem."

"You having a hard time sleepin' at night?"

"No, nothing like that. I'll just take any excuse to nap."

"Anyway, I just came by to ask if you wanted to hang out later."

"Sure, I don't have any other plans right now."

"Great. I'll see ya later then."

Junpei walked off and Seth continued taking his leisurely stroll through the school while he was still on lunch break.

"Hm…" He just looked at his candy bar after nibbling on it a bit more. "One candy bar isn't going to fill me up enough… Maybe I can buy more from the vending machines. And maybe some soda to help perk me up, too."

* * *

_May 2, 2009, Tuesday, After School_

After classes had ended, Seth and Junpei went to Hagakure Ramen at the Iwatodai strip mall to have some ramen and chat.

"Man, we have to be two of the luckiest guys in the world!" Junpei said. "We're both staying at co-ed dorms with some of the loveliest ladies in all of Gekkoukan! Anyone catch your eye yet?"

"Heheh, I ain't telling." Seth replied.

"C'mon, you can tell me. I bet it's Hottie Homura, isn't it? All that time alone together while you were in the hospital must've done it. The old Florence Nightengale effect."

"Wouldn't that imply that I fell for one of the nurses?"

"Eh, you know what I'm gettin' at."

Just then their ramen was finally served to them and they started slurping it down like they hadn't eaten in days.

"Man, this so good!" Seth said between breaths.

"Dude, don't just scarf it down! Savor the flavor… By the way, I should warn you that Mitsuru-senpai is suspicious of you."

Seth froze in place for a couple of seconds before setting down his chopsticks.

"What does she need to be suspicious of?" Seth casually asked. "I must be the friendliest guy at Gekkoukan."

"Personally, I don't think she has anything to worry about. Be honest with me, should we be worried?"

"Not in the least." Seth answered without hesitation.

"That's good to hear. Anyway, let's finish these bowls before they get cold."

After the two finished their ramen, they went their separate ways and went home for the night.

* * *

_May 2, 2009, Saturday, Evening_

As Seth entered his dorm, he saw Homura sitting on the couch while reading a book.

"There you are, Seth." Homura said. "Do you have any plans for the long weekend? Golden Week is coming up, you know."

"No, I didn't have any plans in mind." Seth replied.

"Well… Then…" Homura stuttered while blushing a bit. "Would… would you mind if we… hang out sometime over Golden Week?"

"I wouldn't mind at all. What day were you thinking?"

"Wait a minute!" A voice shouted from up the stairs. "I-WHOA!"

Falling down the stairs was Nobuo, holding an American comic book and his pants down. After landing on his face, he got up, pulled his pants up and straightened himself up like nothing had happened.

"I actually wanted to hang out with Seth tomorrow." Nobuo said. "He already hang out with you and Daichi, so I thought it should be my turn."

"I haven't been out with Emi yet." Seth pointed out.

"Yeah, but she never hangs out with anyone." Nobuo said.

Homura sighed. "I guess I can spend tomorrow reviewing my homework and notes. Maybe we can hang out on Monday then."

Homura walked away and up the steps.

"Homura, wait!" Seth called out to her, but she didn't stop and kept walking away from them.

Seth heard a door slam and nothing but silence afterward and let out a sigh of regret as he walked back to Nobuo.

"Sorry about that." Nobuo said.

"That was really rude, you know." Seth said. "That's something I know my little brother would do."

"Sounds like I wouldn't want to meet your little brother."

"He's not a bad person, he just doesn't know any better… Then again, you're not a bad person either… Or at least you don't seem like one."

"Glad to know you have faith in me…" Nobuo said sarcastically. "Anyway, do you like comic books?"

"Both manga and American comic books."

"Then how would you like to go to the comic book store tomorrow? It's a small shop near Palownia Mall."

"Hold on. Let me talk with Homura first. She seemed really upset when you just popped up and asked to hang out with me."

Seth walked up the steps to the third floor, went to the first door he saw and knocked on it.

"H-" Seth was about to say.

Before he could finish, the door opened so quickly that it took Seth by surprise and Emi was there.

"What do you want?" Emi asked.

She looked pretty irritated, so Seth decided to back off.

"Sorry." Seth said. "Clearly I was interrupting something."

"No… I just don't like people knocking on my door." Emi said.

She then slowly closed the door in a way that was so creepy, Seth would have nightmares for the next week or so. After a few seconds, he finally went to another door and knocked on it.

"Homura, can I talk with you?" Seth asked.

"Go away, you jerk!" Homura shouted from her bedroom door.

"Will you shut up?!" Emi shouted from her room.

"I'm sorry about Nobuo." Seth said with his arm rested on the door.

"… It's not your fault." Homura said from within her room. "I'm sorry I got upset, but I just really wanted to hang out with you over the long weekend."

"It's a three day weekend, so we have plenty of time to hang out. How about Monday we go see a movie?"

"… I'd like that."

"Thanks for understanding."

Seth got up, went back down to the first floor and gave Nobuo a thumbs-up.

"Things are all good between us now." Seth said.

"Great." Nobuo said. "We head to the comic book store tomorrow morning."

* * *

_May 3, 2009, Sunday, Daytime_

Seth and Nobuo were wearing their casual clothes; Seth's was the same as his normal attire back before he moved to Tatsumi Port Island and Nobuo was in a white, thin, long-sleeved shirt with tan pants and his Gekkoukan jacket still tied around his neck like a cape. They went past Palownia mall to a small store nearby with a sign saying 'Geek Haven'. It was so small that it that Seth figured not many people would be in there. When they finally entered the store, sure enough, there was only two people in there and the fat guy behind the counter looked like he was asleep while standing and resting his elbow on the counter and his head on his hand.

"This place looks like a dump." Seth said.

"I resent that!" Nobuo said.

Seth looked at the sleeping guy behind the counter and poked his face to which the guy didn't seem to wake up or respond in the least.

"… If he wasn't breathing, I'd think he'd be dead." Seth said.

"All those greasy foods are going to get to his heart eventually, though." Nobuo commented.

"I resent THAT comment." Seth said.

"Huh?"

"I eat nothing but greasy, salty and sugary snacks. You got a problem with that?"

"Seriously?! How are you not as fat as Hiroshi here?!" Nobuo pointed at the sleeping fat guy.

"High metabolism and exercise."

"Anyway, my order should be in the back." Nobuo started going to the back where the storage room was.

"Is Hiroshi here going to get ornery if you just take his stuff?" Seth pointed his thumb at Hiroshi.

"As long as I leave a note and the money, he'll be cool with it."

Seth followed Nobuo to the storage room and saw only about a few dozen boxes sitting in the room. Since there were so few boxes, Nobuo was able to find his order easily, which was just a box small enough to be carried in both hands without much problem.

"American comic books are hard to come by in Japan. Thankfully this shop imports them, but it's not going to last long."

"I'm sorry to hear that. This is a legitimately unique store, but I bet it's being crushed by big corporations like Amazon. I probably shouldn't tell you I buy stuff from them all the time."

"And the worst part is that it's still new. This store didn't exist until about a year ago, thanks to Hiroshi's passion, but the lack of business has fizzled out his fire."

"That was made pretty obvious by him sleeping on the job."

"Well, thanks for your condolences. I know this isn't the best looking place… or best smelling, but I don't want it to close. And thanks for coming here with me today. Homura, Daichi and Emi don't exactly share my interest in comic books. Well, Daichi does, but only if there are hot women with sexy outfits in them."

"Heheh, that definitely sounds like Daichi."

"Anyway, want to read the latest issues with me?" Nobuo held up the comic books he took out of the box.

"Sure."

* * *

_May 3, 2009, Sunday, Afternoon_

Seth and Nobuo went their separate ways after leaving Geek Haven and the former was walking through the park as the sun was starting to start.

"It's a beautiful day today." Seth said as he looked at the sky while walking. "… Come to think of it, I haven't seen it rain since I got to Tatsumi…"

He was walking by the Iwatodai cemetery when he saw a young man around his age standing in front of a small obelisk. The young man had a full head of black, unruly hair, grey eyes and was wearing a grey jacket over a dark green shirt and black jeans. He just stared at the grave as Seth looked at him for a brief moment, only to continue walking back to the dorm since it wasn't unusual for people to visit the cemetery.

* * *

_May 4, 2009, Monday, Morning_

Seth woke up in his bed, naked again, and as he got up he heard a knock on the door.

"Seth, are you awake?" Homura asked from the hallway on the other side of the closed door.

"Yeah." Seth answered.

"… Are you naked?" Homura asked.

"Yeah."

"Can you get changed before opening the door, please?"

"Sure." Seth went over to his closet to get clean casual clothes and mumbled to himself. "She's gonna miss the eye candy, though…"

After getting fully dressed, he opened the door to see Homura now wearing a pink long-sleeve shirt and a black skirt with purple leggings underneath it.

"You ready to go?" Homura asked.

"Uh-huh." Seth nodded.

* * *

_May 4, 2009, Monday, Daytime_

Seth and Homura arrived at Screen Shot and looked over the available movies and their times.

"What kind of movie do you want to see, Homura?" Seth asked.

"I kind of want to see this one." Homura replied.

She pointed at a movie poster with a tennis ball and a racket lying on an empty tennis court with an old sequin doll sitting next to it, all right above the title, 'Memoires of Kimiko Date-Krumm'.

"It's about to start!" Homura said.

"Um, can I-" Seth was about to suggest considering other movies.

However, Homura was already at the ticket booth getting their tickets before Seth's words could get to her.

"… Never mind." Seth said.

* * *

They entered the theater that was showing their film and looked around at the half-filled room for seats.

"Where would you like to sit?" Seth asked.

"I'm okay with anywhere except the front row." Homura answered. "It's literally a pain in the neck. Don't celebrities get sick of that when they go to premieres? Can't they at least move the front rows further from the screen for that?"

"My brother and I usually try to find a spot close to the middle for an ideal viewing spot." Seth said as he continued examining the theater. "There's a spot near the back with middle seats that aren't taken."

"Good eyes, Seth-kun."

They took their seats as the movie was about to begin. It was based on a true story, but there seemed to be a lot of creative liberties taken to make it more appealing to a movie-going audience. However, it was surprisingly engaging and stayed true to the life of the main character.

* * *

Seth and Homura exited Screen Shot and talked about the movie.

"It's always good to see a good sports movie." Homura said. "They always get me pumped."

"Not to say I didn't like the movie, but you do realize they made a majority of stuff in it up?" Seth asked.

"That's expected of filmmakers. Plus, it's not like they showed disrespect to the real people."

"Please don't remind me of _Pearl Harbor_…"

"Huh?"

"Awful movie. Anyway, are these kinds of movies usually your thing?"

"Yeah. I might not look like it, but I'm actually a sports fan. I also like romance movies, with happy endings of course, and sometimes those cute animated films."

"My parents always took my brother and I to those animated movies all the time before they had to go back on the front lines."

"I love that one with the mermaid. What's your favorite?"

"My brother and I have completely different opinions on that. My favorite would be the one with the lions."

"Oh, that one's good, too."

The two made their way back to their dorm.

"I really enjoy talking with you, Seth." Homura said.

"So do I." Seth said.

"We should do this again sometime."

"I'm looking forward to it."

* * *

_May 4, 2009, Monday, Dark Hour_

Seth, Homura, Daichi, Nobuo and Emi were inside Tartarus, on the fifth floor, but there didn't seem to be any Shadows within sight.

"Okay, how many of you are just waiting for someone to say 'It's too quiet'?" Seth rhetorically asked.

Just then, a large, eagle-like Shadow appeared before them and screeched. Seth pointed his Evoker at his head.

"Nekomata!"

Seth fired the Evoker at his head and a cat woman appeared that lunged at the eagle for a slashing attack, but it didn't kill the Shadow.

"Let's try this!" Nobuo said as he shot his revolver at the eagle.

The bullet knocked the eagle down, allowing them to follow up with an all-out attack before it got back up and knocked the Persona users away.

"This Shadow isn't anything like the others we've fought." Daichi said.

"No shit!" Seth responded.

"We need to defeat this thing before the Dark Hour ends or else we'll be trapped in here." Homura said.

Suddenly, an arrow flew right past them and pierced the Shadow right in its head. They turned around to see Minato, Junpei and Yukari charging at the Shadow, armed with weapons and beating it into submission before it completely disintegrated. With the fight over, the two parties just looked at each other, some with shock.

"So, Seth… You really are a Persona user, huh?" Junpei asked like he almost expected this.

Seth just looked at his four allies to see that they weren't sure how to respond without giving away anything revealing. While taking a deep breath, Seth came up with a response that would definitely suffice.

"I know it doesn't sound like much and I completely understand if you don't trust me, but we have no intention of getting in your way." Seth said.

Minato just looked at Seth for a few moments.

"… I say we trust him." Minato said.

"Say what?!" Yukari exclaimed.

* * *

**A/N:** I'm just going to end it on that cliffhanger there. This chapter is long enough and you've been waiting too long, too. Anyway, here's the update on Seth's Social Links:

**Heiwa (Fool) – Rank 1 (Jason)**

**Junpei (Magician) – Rank 2 (Nekomata)**

**Homura (Lovers) – Rank 2 (Pixie)**

**Nobuo (Fortune) – Rank 1 (Fortuna)**

**Daichi (Strength) – Rank 1 (Valkyrie)**

I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Stay tuned for next time!


	6. Chapter 6

**I know this story hasn't been particularly interesting so far, but it will. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

_May 4, 2009, Monday, Dark Hour_

There was a tense air surrounding the two groups, one led by Seth and the other led by Minato. Although Minato was keeping his cool, everyone else was uneasy to some degree.

"Why are you three in Tartarus?" Homura interrogated. "What is your objective?"

"We should be asking you the same thing!" Yukari argued.

Emi walked up to Yukari and the two started to butt heads with each other.

"Don't order us around just because you're the popular girl!" Emi shouted.

"Of course a goth like you would say that!" Yukari shouted back.

"What did you call me?!"

"I'm just calling you as I see you!"

As the two girls bickered, everyone else returned their attention back to Minato and Seth.

"Hm? What is it, Senpai?"

It looked like Minato had heard something and was talking with someone who wasn't there. It seemed like Junpei and Yukari also heard it, but Seth and his group were left in the dark as to what was happening.

"… Yeah, I understand…" Minato said before looking at Seth again. "Our Senpai wants to speak with you personally. She's on at the entrance on the first floor of the labyrinth. We'll take care of the labyrinths while you have a chat with her."

"And why should we-" Emi was about to lash out at them again.

"All right." Seth said, interrupting Emi. "Be careful out there."

"Same to you." Junpei said.

As Minato, Junpei and Yukari left, Yukari looked back to see Emi sticking her tongue out at her and Yukari mimicked her before returning back to her team.

Seth simply raised his eyebrow. "What did Junpei mean by 'same to you'?"

"I have a bad feeling about this." Homura muttered.

* * *

Seth's group arrived at the first floor and saw two familiar faces from their school.

"Akihiko-senpai… Mitsuru-senpai…" Daichi straightened his body like an army recruit.

"So… I was right to be suspicious of you, Carter." Mitsuru said.

Seth could feel Mitsuru's intense stare. It didn't feel like she was glaring at them, but as if her eyes were stuck like that and plastic surgery would be required to change it.

"Tell me what you're all doing in Tartarus… Now!" Mitsuru demanded.

Homura, Daichi and Nobuo all yelped like puppies and were terrified of the woman before them, but Emi just scoffed.

"Tch, another high and mighty one…" Emi muttered.

Mitsuru looked at Emi with a true glare. "Don't test my patience! What are you doing here?"

*What should we do?* Homura thought. *There's no way we can tell them our true objective. That we're members of Heiwa, even if she is the heir to our financier. She's not going to let us off so easily, no matter what excuse we end up making.*

"Fine, here's the truth." Seth spoke up.

Homura, Daichi, Nobuo and Emi all just looked at Seth with blank, flabbergasted expressions and wide eyes.

"… Heh?!" They all exclaimed.

"We're members of a secret organization of Persona users formed to keep the peace called Heiwa." Seth said. "The Kirijo Group helps to finance us. We mostly fend off our nemesis organization called the Hands of Anarchy. One of their members was responsible for my recent hospitalization. As of right now, our goal here in Tatsumi Port Island is to detain any Hands of Anarchy and discover the secrets of Tartarus and the Dark Hour." He looked at everyone staring at him and he just shrugged. "… What? It's true."

"Do you expect us to believe that?" Akihiko questioned.

"You talked?!" Seth exclaimed. "You were so quiet I thought you might've been mute!"

Everyone just leered at Seth.

"… I thought it would help lighten the tension…"

Mitsuru seemed to be lost in thought at the moment. "… Get out. Now."

"Yes, ma'am!" Daichi and Nobuo exclaimed before running out of Tartarus.

Homura soon followed, walking and trying her best to sidestep Mitsuru, and Emi just leered at her on her way out. As Seth was leaving, he looked at Mitsuru's intense eyes and finally left the tower.

Akihiko turned to Mitsuru. "Do you think it was a good idea to let them leave without even a slap on the wrist?"

"Carter didn't seem to display any ill intentions." Mitsuru replied. "But I'll have to confirm this with my father first."

* * *

On the way back to their dorm, Seth was getting a lot of flak from his friends.

"How could you just tell her that?!" Daichi questioned. "Are you freakin' stupid?!"

"My grades would say I'm above average." Seth retorted.

"How?!" Daichi exclaimed. "And just because your grades are good, that doesn't mean you're smart!"

"She may have been a Kirijo, but you shouldn't have told her about Heiwa." Homura said.

"Homura has a point." Nobuo added. "How can we be a secret organization if you keep telling people about it?"

"I say we should've silenced her while we had the chance." Emi showed them her sharpened nails.

"There's no need to kill anyone, Emi." Seth gently put Emi's hands down.

"I didn't say we needed to… I just wanted to." Emi stated.

"I don't want you to think I would just tell anyone, but we didn't have many options and her father should be aware of Heiwa." Seth said. "You should be more trusting."

"When it comes to who we are, Seth, it's possible to be too trusting." Homura said. "If you let too many people in, one of them might end up stabbing you in the back."

"That sounds suspicious." Emi muttered.

"Don't start, Emi." Homura pointed at Emi without looking at her, trying to contain her small amount of aggravation. "Seth, I just don't want to see any of us get hurt. You're our leader now and you have to look out for our well beings."

"If we can convince Mitsuru of our cause, we can gain more allies and that'll help our well beings." Seth rebutted. "It'll increase our odds of success."

"It also increases your responsibilities." Homura pointed out. "You'll have more people to look after, so nothing will change."

Seth stayed silent, unsure of how to properly argue his way out of it.

"… I'm sorry." Homura said, now with a sad look on her face. "I didn't mean to sound heartless. I think it's sweet how you see the good in people, but I just want you to understand that some people can take advantage of that."

"The higher-ups told you they think I'm gullible, didn't they?"

"Absolutely." Homura nodded to Seth's question.

Seth let out a brief sigh and everyone was silent for a few seconds.

"… Oh, God, just kiss him already!" Emi spoke up.

Homura blushed furiously as Seth looked over at Emi.

"That was very rude, Emi." Seth said.

"Get used to it." Daichi muttered loudly enough for Seth to hear him.

Just then, the air returned to normal, the street lamps came back on and the coffins had turned into people.

"Yawn, we should head to bed once we get back to the dorm." Nobuo said.

* * *

_May 5, 2009, Tuesday, Morning_

After Seth got dressed, he sat on his bed and pondered what to do for the last day of Golden Week, Children's Day.

*I wonder what I should do today…* He thought to himself. *Is there anyone I available today? Now that I think about it, Theodore wanted me to take him around the island. Maybe I'll see if he's free… What am I thinking? He just stands in an elevator and waits for me to come in. Of course he's free! But where can I-*

His phone went off and he picked it up to see that it was from an unavailable number, but something inside him was telling him to answer it, so he did.

"_Hello, Mr. Seth?"_ Theodore's voice came from the phone.

"Theodore? How did you get my number?"

"_Not important. Anyway, I just wanted to inform you that if you want to access the Velvet Room at a time other than the Dark Hour, come to Paulownia Mall and make your way to the back. You'll know when you see it. Thank you. Goodbye."_

Theodore hung up, leaving Seth a bit confused.

"Okay, that was weird…"

* * *

_May 5, 2009, Tuesday, Daytime_

Seth went to a dark corner of the Paulownia Mall underneath the karaoke bar Mandragora and saw the same ethereal blue door that had appeared in Tartarus. He figured that's what Theodore was talking about on the phone earlier, so he went in. After being blinded by that white light again, he found himself inside the Velvet Room where Igor and Theodore were waiting.

"Glad to see you here, Mr. Seth." Theodore politely bowed to him.

"Theo, are you ready to see the outside world?" Seth asked.

"Already?" Theodore seemed a little surprised. "I didn't think you'd grant my request so soon."

"Shall we?" Seth motioned his arms toward the door like a butler.

"Mr. Seth, might I ask if you can show me around Paulownia Mall?" Theodore requested.

"Of course."

Seth and Theodore left the Velvet Room and the moment they came to the center of the mall, Theodore's eyes were glistening like a Christmas tree.

"So this is Paulownia Mall…" Theodore was looking in every direction. "Indeed it's exactly as I imagined it."

"You seem excited." Seth said before scratching the back of his head. "Then again, if I spent my whole life cooped up with Heiwa, I'd be reacting the same way to this."

"Don't think I'd be so easily amused, Mr. Seth."

"You don't have to keep calling me that. Just 'Seth' is fine."

"V-very well. But I insist on at least referring you as 'Mr. Seth' while inside the Velvet Room. I'm afraid of the Master's consequences should I fail to follow protocol."

"Fine by me. I totally understand. I'm usually not very formal, but I need to keep up the façade when I'm around business bosses or school teachers."

Theo's attention was drawn to the center of the mall. "What's that over there?"

Seth looked in the direction Theo was pointing in to see the water fountain.

"An aqueous duct in a place like this?" Theo asked.

Seth looked blankly at Theo and blinked. "I have no idea what aqueous means, but I'm guessing it has something to do with water…" He then motioned his eyes toward the ground and to his side. "Maybe I'm not as smart as I think I am…"

"The dwellers of your world must get thirsty easily."

Seth then looked at the vending machine nearby. "… I won't deny that, but that water isn't for drinking."

"O-of course I know that!" Theo panicked. "It's used to wash hands. You must be so discontent with your cleanliness, that you just put this here for convenience."

"… Try again."

Theo began to blush with embarrassment. "I was merely jesting. But… Would you mind telling me what it's for?"

"It's really just cosmetic. It looks nice. People also sometimes throw coins in to make wishes."

"Wishes? I-I knew that."

"You know, you're not a very good liar."

Seth and Theo looked inside the fountain to see that it was halfway full of coins.

"Something tells me that my sister was here not too long ago." Theo said before his attention was drawn to another part of the mall. "What is that?"

Theo walked toward the police station and examined the wanted posters on the bulletin board just outside.

"These photographs…" Theo mumbled. "'Most Wanted'… 'Reward'… I see. So your world has the concept of subjugation requests as well."

"Beg pardon?"

"Shoot, I forgot to explain to you that you can partake in requests to find treasure and hunt specific Shadows within Tartarus for a reward."

"Well, these aren't anything like fighting Shadows. For one, the goal is to bring them in alive."

"Sounds like your world takes pride in apprehending ruffians with skill. If there are skilled hunters in your world, perhaps I can submit a few requests of my own. On second thought, Elizabeth and I already have you and our other guest for such tasks."

"Who is this other guest anyway?"

"I'm afraid I can't answer that. Besides, what's that over there?"

For the rest of the day, Theo kept making incorrect observations about the mall's club, arcade and smaller fountains, among other things. When it was time to take Theo back to the Velvet Room, he and Seth walked up to its door.

"Your world is so enthralling." Theo said. "I would like to see some more venues next time."

"I'm glad you had fun." Seth said.

"Thank you very much for today."

* * *

_May 5, 2009, Tuesday, Evening_

At the Iwatodai Dorm, Mitsuru was on the phone and waiting for someone to answer it.

"… Hello, Father… I'm sorry to call you at such an inopportune time, but I have something important to ask you… Last night, SEES encountered another group of Persona users. They claim to be members of an organization of Heiwa. Are you familiar with them? … Please, tell me everything…"

* * *

_May 6, 2009, Wednesday, Lunchtime_

Seth was leaving his classroom to get himself something to eat when he saw a familiar girl run up the steps leading to the rooftop.

*What's Emi up to?* He wondered as he followed her to the roof.

Careful not to get noticed by her, he hid behind the door and peeked through the crack to see Emi giggling evilly to herself while holding onto something tightly.

"Emi." Seth greeted as he casually walked up to her as if he wasn't spying on her.

Emi let out a brief, quiet gasp and turned around to face Seth while hiding the object behind her back.

"What are you doing here, Seth?" Emi asked. "Are you stalking me? Don't you know that I'm the one that does the stalking?"

"… I'd rather not know about that, but what's that behind your back?" Seth inquired.

"None of your business."

"All right, then I'm going to take a wild guess that it's some guy's underwear."

"… You're close, but no cigar."

"… Did you steal some girl's bra?"

"… Maybe…"

"Okay, whose is it?"

"Little Miss Popular, that skank. I stole it while she was in the middle of gym class. I was about to toss it from the roof so the monkeys would run rampant and Miss Popular would be shocked to find out what happened to it. The looks on everyone' faces would be priceless."

"Yukari? What's your beef with her?"

"I hate bitches who think they're better than everyone else! Plus, it's fun to pull pranks on people."

Seth groaned and placed his hand over his face. "I'm… not a prankster, so I can't understand what makes a good prank, but don't you think this is going too far?"

"… No."

Seth gave Emi a serious look. "Emi, you are going to take that back to Yukari, apologize… Politely… And never pull this shit ever again. Got it?"

Emi just looked at Seth's face for a few seconds. "… I didn't think you had any backbone to you. All right, I'll do exactly as you say."

*That was easy.* Seth thought.

Emi was about to walk back into the school, but she stopped where Seth was.

"You're pretty sexy when you're angry." Emi whispered.

Seth then felt something pinch his butt as Emi left and just stood where he was, completely dumbfounded.

"… Did that just really happen?"

* * *

_May 7, 2009, Thursday, After School_

Once class was over, Seth went over to Daichi's homeroom and saw him trying to pick up some girls.

"So, do you want to hang out sometime?" Daichi asked.

"Why would we do that?" One of the girls questioned obnoxiously.

"Daichi, don't you think you're a little out of your league here?" Seth asked as he walked up to them.

"Wait, you know the American transfer student?" The other girl asked Daichi.

"Y-yeah." Daichi replied. "We're best buds. Isn't that right, Seth?"

"… Don't you mean 'Seth-kun'?" Seth asked.

"We should get going." The first girl said as she and her friend left the classroom.

Daichi then slapped Seth in the back of the head. "You really are an idiot! Two hot chicks wanted to go out with me just because I was friends with you."

"Didn't they come across as bitchy to you?" Seth asked. "At all?"

"They were smoking hot. Why would being bitchy matter?"

"I believe the answer would be the difference between a girlfriend and a one-night stand."

"Ouch, that hurts…"

"Shall I tell you a story?"

"Does it involve your little brother?"

"Yes."

"You never stop talking about him, do you?"

"Luke used to have a crush on this girl and one day he tried to talk to her. Unfortunately, the girl told him right to his face that he didn't like him. To this day, he has an especially hard time around girls because of that."

"What's the point of this story?"

"I just don't want to see the same thing happen to you. You're a pervert, but you deserve better than those girls."

"Do… you really mean that?"

"Yes."

"Huh…" Daichi looked down at the ground. "All you're trying to do is look out for me. Now I feel bad for calling you an idiot."

"Well, I'll admit I'm not as smart as I think I am. Want to head to the arcade?"

"Sure."

Seth and Daichi made their way to the arcade, Game Panic, at Paulownia Mall and spent the rest of the afternoon there.

* * *

_May 7, Thursday, Late Night_

Seth had finished taking his shower and looked at the homework on his desk.

"… Yawn… I'm feeling kind of tired anyway… I'll just do it tomorrow morning."

Seth hopped onto his bed and started to fall asleep without bothering to do his homework or review his notes. Hopefully, this won't hurt his grades in the long run.

* * *

**A/N:** I hope I made Seth a little more identifiable this time around. I know things have been slow, but I promise that the next chapter will be the Reverse Priestess incident. I have several major events in the story set already and I hope some of you will keep reading. I'll make sure that the payoff will be worth it. I hope you all enjoyed it! Stay tuned for next time! By the way, here are the current Social Link stats:

**Heiwa (Fool) – Rank 1 (Jason)**

**Junpei (Magician) – Rank 2 (Nekomata)**

**Homura (Lovers) – Rank 2 (Pixie)**

**Theodore (Hermit) – Rank 1 (Yomotsu-Shikome)**

**Nobuo (Fortune) – Rank 1 (Fortuna)**

**Daichi (Strength) – Rank 2 (Valkyrie)**

**Emi (Devil) – Rank 1 (Lilim)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Since there are so many chapters and I don't want to be stuck writing only one chapter a month, I'm going to do my best to churn them out as fast as I can without being disruptive to the narrative flow. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

_May 8, 2009, Friday, Dark Hour_

Seth, Homura, Daichi, Nobuo and Emi were all fighting off Shadows after making it to the fifteenth floor of Tartarus. A few Obsessed Cupids approached Homura, who was ready to fight back.

"Aphrodite!"

Homura fired her Evoker at her head and summoned her Persona, Aphrodite, to shoot bolts of lightning that obliterated the Shadows. There were some stragglers that Homura charged at with her fists and knocked them to pieces with a single punch from her gauntlets. At the same time, a pack of Cowardly Maya were slithering their way to Daichi.

"Heracles!" Daichi shot his Evoker at his head and summoned his Persona.

Heracles smashed his fists on top of the Cowardly Maya and smashed them to the point of disintegration. One of them tried to struggle free, but just as Heracles had disappeared Daichi came charging in with his shield and bashed it against the wall until it was destroyed.

"Daichi, look out!"

Daichi turned around to see a Muttering Tiara attempting to strike him from his blindside, but it spontaneously exploded before anything could happen. He looked over toward Nobuo, whose revolver was smoking from being fired.

"Thanks, Nobuo!" Daichi gave him a thumbs-up.

A Merciless Maya made its way to the group of Persona users, only to be stopped by Emi.

"Persephone!"

Emi used her Evoker and Persephone appeared to form a purple circular seal in front of the Shadow. After a few seconds, the Shadow disappeared into nothingness and Emi just smirked sinisterly. Just then, a Grave Beetle appeared before them.

"Let me handle this." Seth said as he dashed forward with his double-sided sword and Evoker in hand. "Fortuna!"

With a click of his Evoker, Seth summoned one of his recently acquired Personae, Fortuna, and she called forth geysers of wind that blasted the Grave Beetle and knocked it to the ground.

"Here's our chance!" Seth shouted. "Let's end this!"

All five of them ganged up on the Grave Beetle and wailed on it until it got back up.

"It's a lot tougher than I thought." Seth said before firing his Evoker again. "Helios!"

Helios appeared and shot a ball of fire at the Grave Beetle, incinerating it into ash. With all the Shadows on the current floor defeated, Daichi slumped against the wall and let out a heavy sigh of relief.

"Man, it just wouldn't end…" Daichi said. "Can we take a break?"

Seth looked toward the staircase nearby and then back at the group.

"I'm going to take a peek at the next floor." Seth said. "You guys stay here so you won't get overwhelmed by any Shadows that decide to finally show up."

"No argument here." Daichi responded.

Seth walked up the steps to see a circular room with another flight of stairs heading upward, only this time it was blocked by a green, ethereal barrier and dozens of stacked school desks. Looking back and forth around the room, it seemed like that was all there was to the floor, so he decided to head back down and regroup with the others.

"Okay, I've got good news and bad news." Seth said. "The bad news is that-"

"Why aren't you starting with the good news?" Nobuo asked.

"Let me finish." Seth replied. "The bad news is that the next floor has a barrier preventing us from going up any higher."

"And what's the good news?" Daichi inquired.

"There aren't any Shadows, so we can go home for the night." Seth answered.

"Woohoo!" Daichi shot up his arms in joy.

* * *

_May 9, Saturday, Dark Hour_

Emi had been sent out on reconnaissance duty again as Seth was in the computer room wearing headphones to hear her transmissions. Daichi had upgraded the computer so they could be able to get recon information much more quickly. Homura, Daichi and Nobuo were all standing behind him, waiting for something worthy of notice.

"Emi, is there anything out of the ordinary?" Seth asked.

"_There are bloody coffins everywhere."_ Emi replied.

"Don't be a smartass." Seth said. "Now that we have this upgrade in communications, we can relay information much more quickly."

"Why are you so high-strung about this, Seth?" Daichi asked.

"Remember how last month, Emi reported seeing a Shadow roaming outside of Tartarus." Seth replied. "What if there are others out there?"

"Then we'd have to keep our guard up." Homura responded.

"Exactly." Seth said.

"_What the hell?!"_

"Is something wrong, Emi?" Seth asked, somewhat fearful of his suspicions.

"_There's a giant Shadow at the monorail station! It's bigger than any of the guardians we've fought in Tartarus!"_

"Hold on, we're on our way!" Seth said before removing the headphones and turning toward the group. "Homura, you stay here and maintain radio communications. Daichi, Nobuo, you're coming with me to give Emi some backup."

"Wait-" Homura was about to say, but the guys left before she could finish. She just sighed. "Why couldn't I come along?"

* * *

Emi was hiding behind an alley across the street from the train station as Seth, Daichi and Nobuo arrived on the scene, all of them carrying their respective weapons.

"Any movement from the Shadow?" Seth asked Emi.

"We just heard through Homura that nothing had changed." Daichi said.

"Things can happen very quickly." Seth retorted before looking toward the station entrance. "Hide!"

As Seth jumped to hide in the alley, Daichi and Nobuo panicked and decided to follow his lead.

"What is it, Seth?" Nobuo asked. "Was that foul Shadow watching us?"

"No, look." Seth pointed to the entrance to the station.

Over by the entrance were Minato and Junpei sitting on the steps with Yukari walking back and forth in front of the stairs.

"It's Miss Popular again…" Emi growled and tightened her grip on the edge of the building.

Upon closer inspection, Seth could have sworn he heard the metal of the building crunch as Emi continued clenching it. They then heard the sound of a motorcycle and saw Mitsuru drive up to the trio in front of the station.

"And there's the other bitch…" Emi started grinding her teeth together.

"You have serious issues…" Daichi muttered.

"Could they be here to take down the Shadow?" Nobuo wondered.

"I say let them die." Emi said.

"If so, then we can either leave the Shadow to them or…" Seth trailed off.

"'Or'?" Daichi questioned. "You're not suggesting we help them, do you? We're supposed to work in the shadows. For all we know, they could be with the Hands of Anarchy."

"I really doubt they could be with the Hands of Anarchy." Seth raised his eyebrow.

"Oh really?" Daichi asked. "Then tell me your one hundred percent legitimate proof that they aren't with the Hands of Anarchy."

Seth remained silent for a moment. "… They're already making their way to the train! Let's tail them for now."

"I know you're over there!"

Both of them froze upon hearing that authoritative voice and turned to see Mitsuru glaring at them.

"Oh, you gonna try to stop us, bitch?" Emi asked.

"Do you WANT to get on my bad side?" Mitsuru dared.

"Do your worst!" Emi replied.

"Okay, hold it, ladies!" Seth got in between Mitsuru and Emi and held the latter back from mauling the former. "We're all here to take out the giant Shadow, right?"

"Wait, how did you know about the Shadow?" Mitsuru asked. "Does one of you use a surveillance-type Persona?"

"No, Emi here is our recon scout." Seth answered.

"We can't just let her be, Seth." Daichi said.

"As much as I like the idea of a Persona-user alliance, protocol says I have to agree with Daichi." Nobuo said. "We can't be compromised."

"Well, I'm going to the monorail to help them out." Seth said. "Daichi, you're coming with me. Nobuo, make sure the ladies don't start a catfight. Mitsuru, where is the Shadow?"

"It's on the monorail nearest to the station." Mitsuru answered.

"Thanks." Seth said.

"Do we really have to follow those or-" Daichi was about to say until Seth started pulling him toward the monorail station.

* * *

Seth and Daichi made their way along the rails to a monorail that was currently not operating due to the Dark Hour.

"I don't see Minato and the others." Seth said. "They must already be on the monorail."

"I can't believe we're going along with this." Daichi muttered. "Director Matsuzawa's going to be so pissed at you for disobeying protocol."

"I'll take full responsibility, so don't you guys worry about a thing." Seth said. "Right now, we have to help stop this Shadow. There's an open door right there we can go through."

Seth went over to the monorail and climbed the ladder to its back car.

"Seth, isn't something odd about this?" Daichi asked.

"Like what?" Seth asked as he stopped climbing.

"This monorail is right in the middle of the tracks and the door is wide open." Daichi explained.

"Maybe Minato managed to get it open."

Seth climbed into the monorail car and Daichi followed him inside.

"I have a bad feeling about-" Daichi was about to say.

Suddenly the door slammed shut and Daichi frantically tried to open it.

"TOLD YOU!" Daichi shouted.

"You guys again."

Seth turned to see Minato and Yukari standing in the middle of the car and Junpei trying to pry one of the doors open, only for his fingers to get messed up.

"_What's wrong? What happened?!"_ Mitsuru asked everyone through her Persona.

"Looks like we're all trapped inside." Yukari answered.

"_It must be the Shadow. It knows you're there."_

"No shit!" Daichi exclaimed.

"_Be ready for anything. Proceed with extreme caution."_

"Got it." Minato replied before turning to Seth. "Looks like we're stuck with each other."

"You say that like it's a bad thing." Seth quipped.

Since they were in the back car, the only way they could go was toward the front of the monorail. As they moved about, they didn't encounter a single Shadow until the end of the second-to-last car, which was a lone Spurious Book.

"There it is!" Junpei shouted.

The Shadow floated away into the next car and Junpei was about to chase after it.

"_Wait!"_

Junpei stopped in his tracks.

"_Something's not right. The enemy's acting strangely"_

"But if we don't go after it, we're gonna lose it!" Junpei said.

"_Minato, you're in charge over there. What do you think?"_

"You may be right, Mitsuru-senpai." Minato replied. "We should be careful."

"Yeah, I agree." Seth said.

"Will my word have any sway in this?" Daichi asked with a raised hand.

"_It would be foolish to blindly chase after it."_

"Who needs your advice?!" Junpei was clearly getting agitated. "We can beat that thing no problem! Hell, I'll do it myself!"

"Um, isn't the Shadow-" Seth was about to ask.

Junpei ran off to the next car to chase after the Shadow before Seth could finish his question.

"Junpei, wait!" Yukari called out.

"Behind us!" Daichi shouted.

Everyone turned around to see two Spurious Books flanking them.

"You guys go after Junpei." Seth walked forward with his two-sided sword at the ready. "Daichi and I can take these things no problem."

"Yeah, these guys got nothing on us!" Daichi readied his shield.

"How can we-" Yukari was about to ask.

"We can trust them, Yukari." Minato interrupted. "We have to help Junpei."

Yukari sighed. "You're right, Minato-kun. Dammit, Stupei! What were you thinking?!"

Minato and Yukari went after Junpei as the Muttering Tiaras started their attacks. Seth leapt forward and sliced the first Muttering Tiara in half and Daichi bashed his shield against the second and stabbed the sharp end through its head. Both Shadows disintegrated instantly upon defeat and another pair of Spurious Books and a Heat Balance appeared behind them. Seth pulled out his Evoker.

"Pixie!"

Seth shot his Evoker and summoned the Persona Pixie to blast the Heat Balance with a bolt of lightning. Daichi then slammed his shield into the side of the Spurious Book, knocking it into the other one and pulling out his Evoker to summon Heracles to stab both Shadows. With the Shadows defeated, Seth and Daichi walked up to the front of their car.

"Things aren't looking good here." Seth said.

"Didn't that Shadow look like one of the garden variety we saw in Tartarus?" Daichi asked.

"So you noticed it, too, huh?" Seth responded. "Emi said the big Shadow was bigger than any of the Tartarus guardians we've fought. I haven't pieced everything together yet, but we should help out Minato as much as we can."

"Okay."

"You're not going to argue with me?"

"You were right, Seth. These guys aren't our enemy, but I still don't think we should have a permanent team-up. Besides, we don't have time for that now."

Seth smirked. "Glad to know you're being a little open-minded about this."

They suddenly felt the monorail start to move.

"What the?! Daichi exclaimed. "It's still the Dark Hour! How can this thing be moving?!"

"_It seems that the monorail is under the enemy's control. If we don't stop that thing, it'll crash into another train!"_

"Then we should start moving. Now!" Seth said before he and Daichi ran through the next few cars.

* * *

As Seth and Daichi made their way to the front car, following Minato, Yukari and Junpei's lead, they were slaying whatever Shadows they came across with ease until they finally reached their destination. In the control room was a giant Shadow that looked like a topless, half-white-half-black woman with the letters 'B' and 'J' tattooed on her breasts and crazy black and white hair that attached itself to the train like wires.

"What the hell?!" Junpei exclaimed. "Is this the friggin' boss?"

"We're in the front car; it's gotta be!" Yukari responded.

"If this weren't a life-or-death situation, I'd totally be aroused right now." Daichi said as blood started to drip from his nose.

"_Hurry and defeat it before it hits another train!"_

As Minato, Yukari and Junpei charged to attack the Shadow, Daichi noticed that Seth was looking at something.

"Seth, come on!" Daichi said. "We've got a Shadow to defeat!"

"Daichi, what does this look like to you?" Seth pointed at the Shadow's hair sticking to the train car.

"It kind of looks like…" Daichi muttered. "… Oh!"

"You see? Maybe if we cut these hairs, we can at least slow down the train."

"That… that's brilliant, Seth! Homura was actually right in making you our leader."

Seth looked at Daichi like he said something stupid and used his sword to slash the hairs. He could hear the large Shadow scream in agony. Daichi did the same with his shield to another strand of hair and cut it off. After a few more attacks from Minato, Yukari and Junpei, the giant Shadow summoned two Muttering Tiaras. One of them was about to attack Yukari.

"_Takeba!"_

Seth dashed as fast as he could and got in between Yukari and the Shadow and it slammed its tendril against his arm. It felt as though it may have cracked one of his bones, but Seth used his other arm, which was carrying his sword, to slash the Muttering Tiara in two. Yukari just stared at Seth in surprise.

"You..." Yukari muttered, but then noticed Seth was cradling his wounded arm. "Hold on! I'll heal you!" She pulled out her Evoker and pointed it at her forehead. "Io!"

As Yukari's Persona, Io, appeared, a healing spell was cast on Seth that quickly recovered his arm. Seth twisted his arm around to check if it was still fractured, but he didn't feel a thing.

"Thanks, Yukari." Seth said.

They both turned to see Junpei slice off the Shadow's right arm and it screamed in pain. Minato took advantage of this and stabbed the Shadow in its heart with his short sword. As he pulled out the sword, the Shadow started to disintegrate and they could see the controls for the monorail.

"Did we make it in time?" Junpei then looked out the windows to see that the monorail was still moving. "Hey! Why are we still movin'?!"

"We're going too fast!" Yukari shouted. "We have to put on the brakes or else!"

"_What are you waiting for?! There's a train up ahead!"_

"Fuck!" Seth shouted.

"I got it!" Daichi ran over to the controls and tried to quickly examine them. "If only I knew more about monorail technology!"

"Do something!" Seth shouted.

"I can't concentrate when I'm being pressured like this!" Daichi exclaimed.

Minato rushed in, pulled a random lever and the monorail came to a screeching halt. While Yukari and Junpei were on the floor, Daichi looking out the front window in shock and Seth standing frozen, Minato casually walked up to them.

"It stopped." Minato said like nothing happened.

"_Is everybody all right?"_

"Physically, yes. Mentally… maybe not." Seth replied.

"Haha, my knees are shaking…" Yukari chuckled weakly.

"Dude… I'm like drenched in sweat…" Junpei said.

Seth just leered at Junpei. "… Ew, please don't touch me."

"_I'm so glad you're all okay. I'm sorry I couldn't do more on my end… Will you stop antagonizing me?"_

"Who are you talking to?" Junpei asked Mitsuru.

"Probably Emi…" Seth groaned and pinched the bridge of his own nose.

* * *

After hearing about how Minato simply guessed when pulling the lever, all five rejoined their allies outside of the station.

"You all can go home and get some rest." Mitsuru said. "Mr. Carter, I would like to have a word with you."

"Okay." Seth said.

Once everyone else was walking back to their respective dorms, Seth walked up to Mitsuru.

"Thanks for your help." She said.

"I didn't do as much as you think. It was mostly your team."

"At the very least, you allowed Arisato and Takeba to reach Iori before anything happened to him. Anyway, I asked my father about your organization, Hiewa."

"Yeah, I got a lot of flak for telling you about that."

"I've considered this over the past few days, but after today, I know that it's the right call. Bring your allies to the Iwatodai Dorm tomorrow evening. I'll explain everything there."

"Why not now?"

"There isn't much left to the Dark Hour. I'd feel better if we spoke about this in a more discrete location where we have enough time."

* * *

**A/N:** Finally finished! Like I promised, I tried to get this chapter out faster so there wasn't a major wait. And during finals week, at that! By the way, how many of you have seen _Age of Ultron_? Wasn't it awesome? My friends have already seen it twice! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed! Stay tuned for next time!


	8. Chapter 8

**Here's the next chapter! I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

_May 10, 2009, Sunday, Early Morning_

Seth was sleeping in considering the tiring night that happened mere hours ago, completely conked out and in deep slumber. However, that bliss was rudely interrupted by his phone going off on the nightstand next to his bed. He reluctantly reached for the phone without lifting up any other part of his body and answered it.

"Hello?" Seth asked after turning his head so his voice wouldn't get muffled by the pillow.

"_Hello, Mr. Carter?"_ Theo's voice came from the other line. _"This is Theodore. I am just calling to inform you that there has just been a change in Tartarus. The barrier on the sixteenth floor has just been lifted. Sorry to bother you so early in the morning, but I had to let you know."_

"Thanks for the consideration…" Seth groggily responded. "I'll see you next time I'm in the Velvet Room."

Seth hung up, placed his phone back on the nightstand and went back to sleep.

* * *

_May 10, 2009, Sunday, Daytime_

Seth had some time to kill before he and his friends would have to meet with Minato and Mitsuru's group at the Iwatodai dorm, so he decided to just kick back for the rest of the day. As he lied down on his beg playing his handheld video game when someone knocked on the door.

"Seth, are you awake?" Homura asked from the other side. "That's all I wanted to check."

"I'm awake." Seth answered. "Just kicking back after a hard night's work."

"Um, Seth… Have you studied at all?" Homura inquired.

"It should be what we've covered in homework, right?"

"Did you read your notes at all?"

"Not really."

"… Did you take notes?"

"W-well… I go in and out at times."

"Seth, are you dressed in there?"

"Yes, but what does this have to do with-"

Homura barged through the door and stomped toward Seth with an angry look on her face.

"Seth, don't you want to pass your classes?" She questioned.

"Well, yes, but-"

"But nothing! You need to get your priorities straight! You're smarter than you think! Do you think employers will hire you if you keep this up?! They'll either think you're dumb, lazy, or both! And I know you're neither of those things!"

"At least admit that I'm lazy."

"Starting today and throughout the week, I'm going to make sure you study so you can do well on the midterms!"

"Do I at least get brea-"

"Only for eating, sleeping and going to the bathroom!"

"You're being rather ruthless, aren't you?"

"You dug this hole yourself, so now you have to face the consequences. So turn off that game and get your books and notes out while I get mine and we can start the tutoring."

Homura left the room and Seth groaned.

"I guess she's right… I bring this on myself…"

* * *

_May 10, 2009, Sunday, Evening_

Seth, Homura, Daichi, Nobuo and Emi had arrived at the Iwatodai Dorm and took seats in the command room on the fourth floor, where Minato, Yukari, Junpei, Mitsuru, Akihiko and their advisor, Shuji Ikutsuki, were waiting for them.

"Shall we begin?" Seth asked Mitsuru. "You said you wanted us to talk in a more discrete location. Or did you just want to get alone with me?" Seth raised his eyebrow, implying something a bit more suggestive.

"Nothing of the sort." Mitsuru replied without even flinching. "But yes, let us begin. I've been speaking with Arisato, my father and Ikutsuki here about this for several days now, but after last night I have finally made a decision. I believe it would be best for us to form an alliance between SEES and Heiwa."

"Excuse me, 'SEES'?" Seth inquired.

"It's short for Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad." Ikutsuki answered. "We're listed as a school club, but you already know about our true goal of fighting Shadows."

"We would still operate as two separate units, but should another one of those large Shadows show up, we need all the help we can get." Mitsuru stated. "Last night was too close for comfort. If we join forces, then our odds of surviving greatly increase."

"It's that simple, huh?" Seth asked.

"It's more than that." Mitsuru said. "You've proven yourselves to be trustworthy and reliable. Were it not for your leader confessing to me, I would still be suspicious of you all right now."

"Looks like you guys owe me an apology." Seth crossed his arms and puffed out his chest boastfully.

Homura, Daichi, Nobuo and Emi didn't find Seth's comment amusing and just sighed in unison.

"… That hurts, you know?" Seth retorted.

"Another factor was Arisato." Mitsuru added. "His opinion of you also played a major part of my decision."

"Well, thank you, Minato." Seth said as he turned to Minato.

"You didn't seem like bad people." Minato said without any sort of expression. "Plus, if you're friends with Junpei, then there's nothing to worry about."

"Didn't doubt ya for a minute, buddy." Junpei said.

"Is that why you looked so sullen when you found out the truth?" Seth questioned.

Junpei lowered his cap to cover his eyes. "Let's… just forget that part…"

"In any case…" Mitsuru interrupted. "Are you willing to accept our olive branch?"

"Well… It wouldn't feel right making another on the spot decision without consulting the rest of my team." Seth responded before turning to his friends. "What do you guys think?"

"I know we were supposed to keep ourselves secret…" Homura replied. "But you never know if something might be too strong for us to handle, like our first excursion into Tartarus. So… Whatever you choose, I'll stand by your decision."

"You're really impulsive." Daichi said. "But so am I. What Homura said."

"An alliance with other Persona users is very tempting." Nobuo said. "As our leader, it's ultimately your decision."

Seth was going to turn to Emi, but then looked back at Mitsuru.

"It's settled." Seth said. "Heiwa and SEES will join forces."

"Wait, what about me?!" Emi questioned.

"You would've just said 'no' because you have a grudge against Yukari and Mitsuru." Seth explained. "Clearly, your say would've been incredibly biased."

"Tch…" Emi scoffed and turned her head away. "I'll go along with it, but that doesn't mean I'll like it."

Seth stood up and shook hands with Mitsuru, who just smiled.

"Très bien." Mitsuru said.

"Wait, did you just speak Spanish?" Seth asked.

"It's French." Mitsuru answered.

"Oh right…" Seth nervously rubbed the back of his head. "The Spanish term is 'muy bien'. Eh, wasn't that far off."

Mitsuru then turned to face the other members of SEES. "Thank you all for coming, but I would like to speak with Mr. Carter alone to discuss the terms of our alliance."

"Wait, why didn't you just make them before this meeting?" Yukari questioned.

"There are probably some nuances to our group that she might not be aware of, but is trying to be considerate about them." Seth surmised and turned back to his comrades. "You guys should head back to the dorm. I'll be back later and tell you the details tomorrow morning."

Everyone except for Mitsuru, Seth and Ikutsuki left the command room. Once those three were left, Mitsuru and Ikutsuki took their seats by a monitor while Seth sat on the couch across from them.

"Let's discuss Tartarus exploration, first." Mitsuru said.

"That sounds like a good place to start." Seth said. "I was thinking that we alternate between days in order to keep both of our teams in fighting shape."

"Good thinking." Mitsuru nodded. "Also, any information about Shadows, how many floors climbed and barriers should also be reported to the other team."

"This way we can maintain and improve our combat abilities while gaining some intel on Tartarus." Seth said. "Even though the floor layouts are constantly changing, the types of enemies don't. As long as we keep constant communication, we should be good on the Tartarus front. Is that all?"

"Perhaps this is asking too much, but I would also appreciate it if you would relay all of your secrets to SEES."

"Huh?!"

"If we are to be allies, it would be best not to keep secrets from each other. In return for your honesty, we'll also let you in on our secrets. Does that sound fair?"

"Well, we're not a secret organization anymore to you guys, so I guess I don't have that much of a choice."

"I only have one other request."

"What's that?"

Mitsuru stood up with a serious look on her face. "If anyone in SEES is in danger, vow that you'll lay down your life to protect them."

Seth wasn't quite sure how to respond to that, but he completely understood and believed what she was saying. He just stood up and smiled.

"No problem." He said. "I got my arm cut off trying to protect my friends last month."

"Glad to hear it." Mitsuru's stern expression was now replaced with a calm smile. "That ends the terms of our agreement."

"Can I just say something before I go?" Seth asked. "Just now, I realized how similar we are. We're both the leaders of our teams and want to see them make it through these ordeals okay. So, to add to our agreement, if either of us has any problems or questions about leading, the other should come to talk."

Mitsuru just looked at him and lightly chuckled. "I never met anyone like you. You kind of remind me of Arisato."

"Heh, I'm nothing like Minato. If anything, he's probably better than me, even if he is socially awkward."

"So… Can I weigh in on anything?" Ikutsuki asked, clearly feeling ignored by everyone.

* * *

_May 11, 2009, Monday, After School_

Seth wanted to find a quiet place to study on his own for a bit before heading back to his dorm, so he figured he would go to Tatsumi Port Island cemetery. When he finally found a bench to sit on, there was only one other person in the cemetery, standing in front of one of the memorials. It was a skinny young man with long black hair that fell past his shoulders, green eyes and wearing a Gekkoukan uniform. After Seth pulled out his notes and a textbook, the young man walked over to him.

"Excuse me, you're from Gekkoukan as well, right?" He asked.

Seth looked up and saw the guy. "Yes, and I really hate to be rude, but I came here so I could study in peace. I mean no disrespect to you. It's just that a friend of mine is really making me hunker down before midterms."

"You know, if you said that outside of the week before finals, people would take offense to that."

"Yeah, I'm sorry. I don't mean to be rude. I'm just tense right now. Usually, I'm a lot friendlier."

"You don't look Japanese. Are you by chance the American transfer student, Seth Carter?"

"That's me."

"I'm a new transfer student. The name's **Makoto Shinigakure** (Age 16)."

"Well, you picked a hell of a time to transfer." Seth chuckled. "You must be cramming like mad."

"It's rather taxing, I admit."

Seth looked around Makoto to where he had seen him standing a minute ago. "You don't have to answer to this question, but did you come here to visit a lost friend or relative?"

"I came to pay respects to my father."

"Well, I'm sorry for your loss."

"Well, I shouldn't keep you from your studies, so I'll be heading off. Perhaps I'll see you after class sometime."

* * *

_May 18, 2009, Monday, Early Morning_

From Tuesday to Sunday, Homura was busy tutoring Seth in his studies and it was incredibly exhausting for him, especially since his only means of relaxing were eating, sleeping and going to the bathroom. When the midterms started the following Monday, he was a little nervous. He could feel his heart shaking and quietly and quickly bouncing his leg in his seat. When the first test was handed out, Seth examined the questions on the paper and smirked.

*Thanks, Homura!*

As soon as Ms. Toriumi gave the students the signal to start, Seth immediately read each question and he felt like he answered most of them with ease.

* * *

_May 23, 2009, Saturday, After School_

With the last of the midterms concluded, Seth stretched in his seat to the point where he could feel cracking in his back.

"Ohhhhh!" He groaned. "Finally I can relax!"

"You definitely deserve it, Seth." Homura said. "You've been studying hard."

"All thanks to you, Homura." Seth turned to face her. "In fact, you're the one who deserves something. Tomorrow, I'll take you to wherever you want. My treat."

"M-my…" Homura blushed. "This is all so sudden…"

"It's not like I'm asking you out on a date or anything; just a little thanks for helping me out the last two weeks."

"R-right…"

* * *

After an exhausting two weeks, Seth made his way to the arcade at Paulownia Mall, Game Panic, to have a little fun. Upon entering, he went up to one of the popular fighting games to see a huge crowd gathered, watching a match going on at the moment. He could barely see past all the people huddled together, but he was tall enough to see the characters' life bars by standing on his toes. It was the last round and both players had at least one win in the current match. It was down to the wire and one of the players managed to clutch a win and take the match, causing the crowd around him to cheer. Someone got up, presumably the loser of the match, and left as another person in the crowd took his place in front of the arcade cabinets.

After several people finally left, Seth was able to make out that the person winning all of those matches was a young man around his age. He had short, dark green hair and wore a white T-shirt with some sort of video game character printed on it and dark grey pants. Once it was Seth's turn to fight, he took a seat next to the kid and fiddled with the arcade controls to make sure that the controls weren't broken. The young man examined Seth's uniform.

"You're from Gekkoukan?" He asked. "You probably just had your midterms. Feeling out of practice?"

"I might not have played this for two weeks, but my skills are anything but rusty." Seth smirked.

They started the match and it was an intense bout. It was a battle down to the last pixel of health. It ended with Seth losing the last round and he shook hands with his opponent.

"Good game." Seth said.

"You almost had me there." The young man said. "I underestimated you."

"You're pretty good. I'm Seth Carter."

"I'm **Kaito Fujiwara** (Age 16)."

"Are you from Gekkoukan as well?"

"No, I go to a different school. I don't have enough money to go there, so I don't have the same fancy education you do. Anyway, I have to get home. If you ever want to meet again, just come here."

Kaito left Game Panic and as Seth made his way out not far after him, he couldn't help but feel like someone was watching him. His instincts told him to look around, but he didn't see anything out of the ordinary or suspicious, so he just continued back to the dorm.

* * *

_May 24, 2009, Sunday, Daytime_

Seth was sitting on the couch on the bottom floor of his dorm, waiting for Homura to come downstairs. When she finally came down, she was wearing a bright yellow T-shirt with a neon orange circle on the chest and light blue jogging pants.

"Ready, Seth?" Homura asked.

"Where are we going, exactly?" Seth asked as he stood up.

"The rec center." Homura started stretching her arms in various ways. "Staying inside for two weeks can make you flabby, so we can really use the exercise."

As Homura stretched by bending over to touch her toes, Daichi came down the stairs and stared at her buttocks, which were fairly emphasized by her pants.

"Come on, Seth." Homura straightened herself and proceeded to leave the dorm.

Daichi walked up to Seth and pulled him in close enough for his mouth to be right next to his ear.

"You get to spend a day with Hottie Homura in that tight outfit?" Daichi whispered. "You lucky bastard!"

Seth ignored Daichi's comment and shuffled his left hand through his right sleeve to feel up his muscles.

*She's right…* He thought. *I could really use the exercise.*

* * *

When Seth and Homura arrived at the rec center, they went to the tennis court and each of them grabbed a racquet and she grabbed a tennis ball. Before heading to the court, Seth took off his jacket and tossed it by the wall. They took opposite sides of their court with Homura ready to serve. She tossed the tennis ball up, jumped and struck it with her racquet. It passed over the net, bounced off the floor and Seth moved in to send it back over to Homura.

As they continued playing, a bunch of guys and a couple of girls came by and watched the game. More precisely, they were watching Homura's breasts bounce as she jumped and ran over the course of the match.

After their game, they sat on the bench with bottles of water and towels hanging from their necks.

"Phew, nothing like a game to give a fulfilling workout." Homura said.

"You were really into it." Seth said. "Are you in any sports clubs?"

"Not really." Homura answered. "I just really love sports. Tennis, baseball, football-"

"American or European?"

"Both! It's a fun way of exercising!"

"Maybe someday, you can get Luke to come to one of these."

"Heheh, maybe. I'd really like to meet him sometime."

"Provided that our superiors station him here within the next few months."

"You know, I'm really glad they sent you here, Seth. Things have been a lot more fun since you showed up."

They spent the rest of the day chatting about themselves.

* * *

**A/N:** Sorry this one took so late! I was busy with studying, gaming and other things. But since I'll finish one of my summer courses by next weekend, I'll start trying better to make these updates more frequent. As to the guy who reviewed saying I need to update more, yes, I do, but I have things in life that get in the way. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed! Stay tuned for next time! Here are the current statuses of Seth's Social Links:

**Heiwa (Fool) – Rank 3**

**Junpei (Magician) – Rank 2**

**Mitsuru (Empress) - Rank 1**

**Homura (Lovers) – Rank 3**

**Theodore (Hermit) – Rank 1**

**Nobuo (Fortune) – Rank 1**

**Daichi (Strength) – Rank 2**

**Makoto (Death) - Rank 1**

**Hardcore Gamer (Temperance) - Rank 1**

**Emi (Devil) – Rank 1**


	9. Chapter 9

**Time to see how Seth did on the midterms! I hope he did better than I did this summer… Please enjoy!**

* * *

_May 25, 2009, Monday, Lunchtime_

Seth was about to have his lunch for the day until a student came barging into the room.

"The midterm results are up!"

Seth took a deep breath, readying himself for the moment of truth, stood up and walked into the hallway. Many of the other students did the same, most of them feeling dread for what they might have scored. They all stood in front of the bulletin board with the midterm rankings, searching for their names. Seth, just to avoid disappointment even to no avail, started from the lowest rankings. He kept skimming through the names and higher in the rankings until he finally saw his name next to the number '10'.

"Wow!" Seth exclaimed. "I barely made the top 10! I know I did better than I thought."

He then noticed Minato standing next to him, looking for his own name.

"How'd you do, Minato?" Seth asked.

"Hold on…" Minato said as he continued to examine the board. "… I'm eighth."

"Impressive." Seth said. "I wonder how Homura did…"

Seth looked a little higher on the rankings to see her ranked fifth.

"Number 5?!" Homura exclaimed.

Homura's sudden appearance startled Seth a little.

"I'm awesome!" Homura pumped her fist and then turned to Seth. "And you did pretty well yourself, Seth."

"Well, I had you to thank for the tutoring." Seth said. "Rest assured from now on that I'm going to take notes in class."

"Good. Oh, by the way, I need to talk to you in private about something."

Homura pulled on Seth's arm toward a clear corner in the hallway. Seth had a feeling that most students looking at this would take it the wrong way, but there wasn't any use complaining about it. After they made it to the corner, Homura made sure their faces were close enough for each other to hear them.

"You remember Sanada?" Homura whispered. "From SEES, right?"

Seth blankly blinked. "I'm sorry, who?"

Homura sighed. "Akihiko Sanada? Boxing team?"

"Oh yeah. Sorry, I only know people by their given names rather than their surnames."

"Well, you're American, so that explains why. Anyway, his arm's fully healed, so he can finally help both of our groups."

"That's great!"

"And there's one more thing. They might get another Persona user on their team."

"Really?"

"However, I heard she's pretty sickly. She might not be suited for combat. Hopefully, she's able to give us support."

"Or leave her alone."

"That's not an option. Even if we choose to do nothing, the Hands of Anarchy might recruit her and use her powers for God knows what."

"You've got a point there." Seth took out his phone and checked the time. "Lunch is almost over. Let's get back to class."

* * *

_May 25, 2009, Monday, After School_

With the last class for the day finally over, Seth closed his notebook.

"Phew…" He sighed before thinking. *I wonder who's available today…*

As if on cue, his phone went off to signal that he just received a text message. He checked it to see that it was from Nobuo which read 'hey seth, do u 2 hang out? Theres sumthing I want talk about'. Seth texted back saying 'sure, where do u want to meet?'. After waiting for about half a minute, he got a reply from Nobuo saying 'comic book store, naturally'.

* * *

Seth approached the comic book store and saw Nobuo standing by the entrance.

"Hey!" Seth called out and waved to Nobuo.

"Hey!" Nobuo replied and waved back.

Seth lightly ran until he was in front of his friend. "How did you do on the midterms?"

"I'd rather not talk about it…" Nobuo answered with a sullen expression.

"Didn't pass?"

"Barely…"

Seth considered telling him about his score, but figured it wouldn't be a good idea as it would probably make him feel worse and didn't want to take that chance by saying it.

"Don't worry too much about it." Seth said. "Just study hard for the finals and you can come back."

"Yeah, that's comforting… I know you mean well. It's just… I was never good at school, even when I was little."

"Have you ever thought about getting tutoring? Homura helped me out, I'm sure she'd be willing to help you."

"STOP TALKING TO ME LIKE I'M NOT STUPID! BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT?! I AM!"

Taken aback and shocked at his friend's sudden outburst, Seth was surprised to hear this coming from someone who came off as a comic book geek when he first met him.

"Not once in my life have I considered myself smart. If I wasn't a tough fighter, I'd be useless to you guys." Nobuo then shook his head and took a deep breath. "Sorry about that. I just had to let that out. Exams will do that to you."

"It's… It's okay." Seth responded. "Not everyone is smart. Plus, you at least passed your midterms. There are probably thousands of other people who aren't as smart as you."

"Heheh, thanks, Seth. That really makes me feel better."

"What are friends for?"

Seth and Nobuo shared a smile before heading into the comic book store.

* * *

_May 25, 2009, Monday, Evening_

Seth was in his bedroom, shirtless and doing push-ups to bulk up his muscles and fight better against the Shadows and any other members of the Hands of Anarchy they might come across. Normally, he doesn't exercise, but he figured that with finals taken care of at the moment, he can focus on training and getting stronger.

Just outside of his door, Emi was spying on him through the crack between the door and the floor.

"Emi, what are you doing?"

Emi could tell from the voice that it was Homura, so she didn't even feel the need to turn around to look at her.

"I overheard Seth making grunting sounds, so I wanted to peek and now I'm enjoying the show." Emi whispered.

"Well, please stop." Homura said. "I need to speak with him."

"You just want to see him work out for yourself."

Homura blushed from Emi's comment. "I was just going to ask him if we should go to Tartarus tonight."

"But then you'll ruin the show…"

Homura ignored Emi and knocked on Seth's door. "Seth, do you want to go to Tartarus tonight? We never got the chance last week due to midterms."

"Yeah!" Seth answered, his voice slightly muffled by the door. "We could all use the exercise after being cooped up for midterms."

"Okay." Homura said before heading downstairs.

"… Don't tell me you didn't want to see him work out." Emi muttered.

"S-stop it, Emi…" Homura said, her face blushing.

As Homura walked away, Emi was smiling from her comrade's denial.

* * *

_May 26, 2009, Tuesday, Morning_

In the middle of one of the lectures from Mr. Ono, Gekkoukan's history teacher, Seth was nodding off as the teacher started rambling into an unimportant tangent.

*Last night's excursion into Tartarus really tired us out.* Seth thought. *That week of sitting around, studying, affected our stamina more than I thought… Well… Maybe I can nod off for a few seconds.*

Seth turned his mind off and he instantly felt so much better. It felt like that instance of relaxation went on forever until…

"Carter!"

He snapped awake to Mr. Ono calling his name.

"Napping in class, were you?" Mr. Ono asked. "How about as punishment, you have to answer this question. Do you know where the Kofun period got its name?"

*I know this!* Seth's mind immediately clicked and he stood up. "From the burial mounds that started appearing around that time."

"That's correct. I see you HAVE been paying attention. And you didn't even need Arisato to whisper the answer to you."

Once he was allowed to sit back down, he let out a sigh of relief and resumed with taking notes on the lecture.

*If I hadn't been paying attention earlier, I wouldn't have remembered that. After midterms, I won't be making that mistake again. With our trips to Tartarus, getting drowsy in class is inevitable. Maybe I should get myself an energy drink to keep myself awake and I can nap during lunch. Yeah, that's not a bad idea… Aside from not eating, but school is more important.*

* * *

_May 26, 2009, Tuesday, After School_

As class finished up, Seth got out of his seat with his things packed and walked over to Junpei.

"Hey, Junpei." Seth greeted him.

"Yo, Seth. Congrats on making the top ten."

"Thanks." Seth would like to ask Junpei how he did, but his experience with Nobuo made him think it would be a bad idea. "It's been a while and midterms didn't help at all, so why don't we hang out somewhere?"

"Suh-weet! I like the sound of that! Wanna grab a bite to eat at Wild Duck Burger?"

"… That's racist."

"I-I didn't suggest that because you're American!" Junpei shook his arms in defense.

"I'm only screwing with you." Seth chuckled. "Burgers sound great."

* * *

At Tatsumi Port Island's fast food joint, Wild Duck Burger, Seth was scarfing down on a couple of hamburgers and bushels of fries as Junpei just stared in both shock and amazement, simply blinking with his mouth closed.

"Wow, you must've been pretty hungry." Junpei said.

Seth chewed for a couple of seconds and swallowed his food before speaking. "With the Tartarus explorations, I really need to nap during lunch so I don't fall asleep during class."

"So you skip lunch entirely?" Junpei questioned.

"It's not like I'm fasting or anything. I still have breakfast and dinner. And drink. It's not going to kill me. Besides, I've been working out more and I'm not talking about just Shadow extermination."

"Well, I can't argue with that logic. You ARE staying in shape and eating."

"Maybe you could do the same."

"I'm too hungry by lunch to take a nap. I sit next to Minato-kun anyway, so he can always help me out if the teacher calls on me."

"To each their own." Seth continued eating until there wasn't even a crumb of food left. He let out a sigh of content and patted his bulging stomach. "Ooh, that should tide me over for a long while…"

"Yeesh, I could've sworn your stomach was a black hole. Either that or at some point you'd suffer a heart attack."

"I have a high metabolism and youth. It's impossible for me to get a heart attack."

"Heh, if you do, it'd be both funny and tragic at the same time."

"I certainly hope it's more tragic."

"Don't talk like that. We'd all be worried about you."

"That's what I mean. I'd rather you be worried about my well-being than laugh at it. It's more reassuring that you guys care for me. You, Homura, Daichi, Minato, even Mitsuru. Everyone I've met since I got here have all built a strong bond with me. If I were to pass, be it a heart attack or a rabid Shadow, all your hearts would become that much heavier."

"You really think that? Even though we've only known each other for a month?"

"Don't you think that it's already true?"

Junpei thought on his words for a moment. "Good point. But let's stop dwellin' on all this heavy stuff. I gotta tell ya about this funny thing that happened to one of my other pals the other day."

Seth and Junpei continued to chat until it got late and headed back to their respective dorms.

* * *

_May 27, 2009, Wednesday, Early Morning_

While walking down the hallway and to his homeroom, Seth walked past a bulletin board with several club ads posted on it. However, what caught his attention instantly a flier with a bright red boxing glove in the center of a black sheet of paper.

"'Boxing team now taking new recruits'…" Seth read the flier aloud. "Might help make me stronger for fighting Shadows. Perhaps I'll join."

* * *

_May 27, 2009, Wednesday, After School_

Seth made his way to where the boxing team usually meets, which was a room complete with a boxing ring, punching bags hanging from the rafters and chairs lined up. To him, it looked exactly how the boxing gyms from the movies looked like, only a lot cleaner and brighter.

"Hey, Seth!"

He looked in the direction he head the voice to see Akihiko approaching him, sporting a pair of boxing gloves.

"Akihiko, I didn't know you were in the boxing team." Seth said.

"I'm not just a member of the boxing team; I'm the captain." Akihiko stated.

"Really? I should really pay attention to the goings-on in the school more."

"Anyway, what brings you here?"

"I saw your flier and thought it could help in my training. I mean, doing push-ups and sit-ups are good for bulking up, but I feel this will grant me more combat experience."

"Heh, well what do ya know? I joined for the same reason."

"Great minds think alike, as they say."

"Are you sure you want to join? I'm warning you that the training we go through can be pretty brutal."

"I already had to go through my arm getting dismembered. Besides, if it means getting stronger, then I won't complain about it."

"That's the spirit." Akihiko smirked. "I think we're going to get along just fine."

Seth and Akihiko gave each other a firm handshake and the latter turned to the punching bags.

"Before we start anything, can I ask a question?" Seth asked.

"Fire away."

"What are the rules? My knowledge only goes as far as certain movies." Seth nervously chuckled.

Akihiko sighed in exasperation.

"… On second thought, I'll just look them up online when I get home so you don't feel like you're wasting time."

* * *

_May 27, 2009, Wednesday, Evening_

Upon entering his room, Seth dropped his bag to the floor and started up his computer. As it booted up, he decided to go on his phone and dial a few numbers. He waited a couple of seconds until someone picked up.

"_Hello?"_ Tadashi's voice reverberated from the other side.

"Director Matsuzawa, this is Seth Carter."

"_I can presume that if you're calling me on your cell phone, that this isn't urgent."_

Seth found that comment rather dick-ish, but wouldn't want to say that to his boss. "It's not, but I just want to speak with Luke. Don't worry, I'm in our dorm."

"_In a moment. I'll go fetch him."_

While Seth waited on the phone, there was a knock on his door.

"Seth, are you decent?" Homura's voice asked from the hall.

"Yeah, I'm just on the phone." Seth answered.

Homura opened the door and walked up to him. "With who?"

"Ooh, hold on…" Seth raised his finger in front of her as he heard the sound of someone handling the phone.

"_Seth?"_ Luke spoke on the phone.

"Luke!" Seth said with a glow on his face. "Sorry I don't call much. School and work and all that. Anyway, how are you doing?"

"_I-I'm okay. I kind of wish you were here, though. The people in Heiwa are nice and all, but… you know…"_

"That's your little brother?" Homura asked.

"_Seth, who's there?"_

"It's just one of my friends and teammates, Homura." Seth answered.

"Do you mind if I say 'hi'?"

"… Homura says 'hi'."

"Just give me the phone, please." She snatched the phone from him.

"I don't think-"

"Hi, Seth. This is Homura. Your brother's told me a lot about you."

"_Uh-h-h-h-h-hi…"_

"Don't be shy. It's not like you can see me."

Despite the reception, it was clear that Luke seemed particularly flustered with Homura on the phone.

"Homura, please give me back my phone." Seth said.

She handed the phone back to him.

"Sorry about that, Luke." Seth said. "Homura just took the phone from me."

"_She… she does seem nice, though. I… I actually wouldn't mind meeting her."_

"You don't have a crush on someone you haven't even seen, do you?" Seth teased.

"_N-no! She's two years older than me! Besides, didn't you say you-"_

"Anyway, I made the top ten on the midterms." Seth interrupted. "Homura made the top five."

"_Wow, you're both really smart, Seth!"_

"You're smarter than me, Luke. You aced every exam you ever took. That's no small feat."

"_Luke, it's curfew."_ Matsuzawa's voice shouted on the other side of the line. _"Say your last words to your brother and get to bed."_

"_I got to go, Seth."_ Luke said. _"Director Matsuzawa's going to get mad if I stay on the line any longer."_

"Okay, I'll call you back tomorrow." Seth said. "Good night, Luke."

"_Good night, Seth."_

Seth hung up the phone and put it back in his pocket.

"I'm sorry I had to take the phone back." Seth said to Homura. "Seth gets really shy around nice girls. Other girls… he's actually scared of them."

"Why's he scared?" Homura questioned.

"He used to have a crush on this one girl and she turned him down… By ripping his heart out and stomping on it. She even said in one of the meanest ways possible, 'I don't like you'."

"Ohhh, poor thing. I hope he does find someone someday. And his woobie points will certainly play a part in it."

"W… What's a woobie?"

"Someone you feel sorry for and they're so adorable and sad that you just want to hug and comfort them."

"… Oh… You learn something new every day, I guess."

"Aaanyway… What was Luke about to say?"

"Huh?"

"When you asked him if he got a crush on me, he was about to say something about you, but you cut him off before he said anything."

"Oh… That…" Seth looked toward his alarm clock. "Oh my God, would you look at the time! I gotta shower and get to bed!"

"But it's only 9."

"Exactly! Early for bed, early for rise!"

Seth gently pushed Homura out of his room and closed and locked his door.

"Phew, that was close…" He sighed.

* * *

**A/N:** I'm sorry this chapter took so long again. I've been getting distracted by a lot of things and the Street Fighter V beta will be starting tomorrow. I've also been practicing in Guilty Gear since there's a tournament at a con I'm going to next month. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed! Stay tuned for next time!

**Heiwa (Fool) – Rank 3**

**Junpei (Magician) – Rank 3**

**Mitsuru (Empress) - Rank 1**

**Akihiko (Emperor) – Rank 1**

**Homura (Lovers) – Rank 3**

**Theodore (Hermit) – Rank 1**

**Nobuo (Fortune) – Rank 2**

**Daichi (Strength) – Rank 2**

**Makoto (Death) - Rank 1**

**Hardcore Gamer (Temperance) - Rank 1**

**Emi (Devil) – Rank 1**


	10. Chapter 10

**Finally! I can write again! Sorry for the long delay, but there were a ton of complications and had to order a new laptop. I'm trying to write this out as soon as I can without having to compromise quality. I actually have a good chunk of the next few chapters already planned out. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

_May 28, 2009, Thursday, After School_

Seth was on his way back to the dorm after a long day of classes with his bag slung over his shoulder.

"Today was so exhausting for some reason." Seth sighed to himself. "I'd rather just head to the dorm and relax for a bit."

As he came to a bridge, he noticed a woman in her early twenties by the railing, tying something to a rope. She had short, white hair, dark green eyes and wore a brown blazer and black pants. The moment he saw that she was tying the rope to a brick and her leg, alarms set off in his head.

"What are you doing?!" Seth shouted.

The woman looked up at Seth. "Just leave me alone! I don't want to live anymore!"

"Clearly the brick tied to your leg gave that away." Seth said. "But seriously, don't jump!"

"You have no idea what I'm going through! And don't assume that you do!"

"You're right. I don't know who you are, what's happening in your life or what's going on in your head. But before you jump, let me ask you a question: Do you have a family?"

"Y… Yes, my parents."

"So they love you?"

"I thought you were only going to ask ONE question!"

"Just answer it."

"… They love me very much…"

"Wouldn't it kill them if you took your own life? Whatever misery you're feeling now will go to them if you jump. Do you really want to put them through that kind of sadness?"

She looked down. "… No…"

"Take a deep breath and reevaluate your situation. That's the best advice I can give you right now."

The woman was hesitant at first, but eventually did as Seth said and took a deep breath.

"… Alright…" She said. "I'll take some time to think about my life. Thank you."

"My name is Seth. Seth Carter. And yours?"

"**Tsubaki Sasagami** (Age 27). It was nice meeting you."

Tsubaki walked away, which now made Seth notice that a crowd of people had surrounded him and Tsubaki during their talk.

"… Move along, people!" Seth said. "Nothing to see here!"

After the people dispersed, Seth continued back to the dorm, groaning at the people's desire to see what was happening purely for the sport of spicing up their water cooler conversations.

* * *

_May 28, 2009, Thursday, Evening_

As soon as Seth got back to the dorm, he spent an hour or two relaxing before going to his studies. Once he was done with that, he stretched out of his work desk and took a shower. As soon as he got out with a towel wrapped over the back of his neck, his phone went off, prompting him to walk over and answer it.

"Hello?" Seth asked.

"_Mr. Carter? This is Theo. I have a personal request for you. There's a particularly dangerous Shadow roaming about Tartarus. You don't have to take care of it right now, but it would help me sleep better at night if you did."_

"I can take care of it tonight, if you want."

"_You don't need to do it tonight if you don't want to."_

"Nonsense. It'll help my friends and I get stronger, so it's a win for both of us."

"_Thank you very much! I really appreciate it!"_

* * *

_May 28, 2009, Thursday, Dark Hour_

The five members of Heiwa were walking through the corridors of Tartarus, weapons in arms and on constant alert.

"Seth, do you even know what this Shadow looks like?" Daichi asked.

"Does it really matter?" Nobuo responded. "When there's a Shadow about, we're the only ones who can stop it."

"… Your personality swings are pretty sporadic, ya know?" Daichi retorted.

"Who even told you about this Shadow?" Homura asked.

"Uhh…" Seth had to think of something quick without revealing anything about the Velvet Room otherwise his friends would think he was crazy. "Minato told me about it. SEES is still recovering from their previous excursion here, so they asked if we could do it."

"Sounds like you're hiding something." Emi said. "Spill it before I cut your manhood off!"

*I hope that Shadow conveniently shows up!* Seth thought in a panic.

Seth waited for something big and loud to interrupt the interrogation, but nothing came.

*Any minute now…*

… Still nothing.

*… Please come…*

… Still nothing.

*… Well, it's up to Luke to continue the Carter line.*

GRRRROOOOOOOAAAAAAHHHHH!

"What was that?!" Homura exclaimed.

*THAAAAAANK YOOOOOOOU!* Seth cried in his head.

The five ran in the direction of the howl and saw a large ogre with sickly blue skin carrying a massive broadsword come out to the intersection in front of them, readying its large blade to strike.

"Out of the way!" Seth shouted as he pushed Homura to the ground to get her out of the sword's path.

Everyone else jumped out of the way in time as the broadsword left a deep, linear crater in the floor.

"Whew, that was close." Seth said. "You alright, Homura?"

"Seth, where are you touching?" Homura asked.

Seth wasn't aware of it due to the panicked situation, but once he could feel his sense of touch return, he noticed he had his hands around something that felt like cloth and it was soft and round.

"… Oh, crap!" Seth panicked and shot up, releasing his hands from Homura. "I'm sorry! I'm not a pervert! … Okay, maybe I am, but I wouldn't just grope a woman without their consent!"

"Seth, before you continue your argument… and me being jealous of you… Can we take down this huge Shadow?!" Daichi asked.

"Right!" Seth and Homura exclaimed at once, regaining their composure, grabbing their weapons and ready to face the Shadow.

Seth aimed his Evoker at his head. "Yomotsu-Shikome!"

Behind Seth appeared the Persona Yomotsu-Shikome, of the Hermit Arcana with his bond from Theodore. Its hairs stretched out and cast the Tarunda spell to lower the Shadow's attack power. Seth called back Yomotsu-Shikome and readied his Evoker again.

"Jason!"

Seth summoned Jason and he swung his spear at the Shadow. The Shadow brought his broadsword forward and the two giants clashed. At that moment, Seth dashed in toward the Shadow and started slashing at his legs with his double-sided sword. The others followed his lead with Homura punching at the Shadow's ankles, Emi was hurling upward the blade of her scythe into its back and Nobuo was shooting his revolver at its kneecaps. They kept up their attacks until the Shadow started to falter in its stance. That signaled Daichi to charge in with his shield, bash it into one of the Shadow's legs and make it fumble back. As the Shadow was losing its balance, Jason thrust his spear into the Shadow's head, causing it to disintegrate into nothingness and Jason disappeared.

"Phew…" Seth sighed with relief. "That was a rush! Anyone want to keep going?"

"Are you on an adrenaline high or something?" Daichi questioned.

"I know I am!" Nobuo said. "Let's keep going!"

"Man, does anything faze you?" Daichi rhetorically asked.

"If you're that tired, Daichi, then we'll take a five minute break." Seth said. "Now to check the…" He was about to pull his phone out. "… Oh right, my phone doesn't work in the Dark Hour."

"I think I'll wait until your lecture is over." Daichi said.

"What lecture?" Seth asked.

"The one about touching my breasts!"

Seth hesitantly turned around to see Homura with an upset face and her hands on her hips.

"I'm willing to overlook it this time since it was an accident, but if you grope me again you're getting a punch straight to the groin." Homura said.

"I bet you liked it when he grabbed your boobs, didn't you?" Emi grumbled.

Homura's expression didn't change, but there was a bit of a blush on her face.

"I also bet that you're using that threat as an excuse to touch his-" Emi continued.

"Emi, please stop talking." Homura interrupted as calmly as she could, but there was a slight hint of aggravation from her comment.

* * *

_May 28, 2009, Thursday, Late Night_

After exploring Tartarus more, Heiwa returned to their dorm to get some sleep. As Seth was taking a shower due to all the sweat he produced from the fighting, he thought back to his brief visit to the Velvet Room after their excursion.

_(Flashback)_

"_Thank you very much for dealing with that terrifying Shadow." Theodore said. "And an impressive victory it was. You and your team fought with such synergy, it was remarkable. There must be a great deal of trust between you all. I can certainly say that you have my trust, after all you've done for me."_

_(End Flashback)_

*And his satisfaction is what made it all worthwhile.* Seth thought as he continued showering.

* * *

_May 29, 2009, Friday, After School_

Seth was walking through Gekkoukan High's courtyard, taking in the pleasant air around him.

*The temperature out here is perfect today.* He thought. *Not too hot and not too cold.*

However, the sound of laughing girls broke his reverie. He looked over to see a dark-skinned brunette talking to another girl with greenish-brown hair in pigtails.

"So, I pretended to take a picture with my cell phone." The dark-skinned brunette said to her friend.

"And?" Her friend asked.

"She freaked out and started crying!" She continued almost laughing. "Like it was the end of the world! You should've seen the look on her face! It was priceless!"

"Oh my gawd!"

"I've never laughed so hard in all my life!"

Hearing those girls laugh at someone else's expense made Seth clench his fists in anger. He then quickly stomped off into the main building.

* * *

In the student council room, Mitsuru was looking over some papers when someone barged in through the doors. She looked up to see that it was Seth who had so rudely entered.

"Carter, what are you doing here?" Mitsuru asked.

"I'd rather you not call me that." Seth said. "It makes me seem like a bad guy. Anyway, I've heard about some recent acts of bullying around the school and I wanted to put a stop to it the best way I can. I want to join the student council."

"I have no objections if you wish to join, but I am curious." Mitsuru put down the papers and rest her chin on her crossed hands, propping them up with her elbows on the table. "Is this a personal issue?"

"Well, somewhat…" Seth answered. "No one here I personally know has been bullied, but I just can't stand it. My little brother would get bullied a lot and I had to be there to protect him. I've always hated bullies because of that. Picking on other people just to get a few laughs. I heard that most comedy in some way or another is based on misery, but this is just cruelty. It's not funny to make a person feel bad just for being who they are." He took a deep breath. "I don't care what position I get here, as long as I can make a difference that's all that matters."

"I see you are quite motivated to limiting bullying on campus. That's a valuable trait in a member of the student council."

"Actually, while we're on the subject, why did you join the student council?"

"It's nothing personal like your reason. The Kirijo Group funds this school and as the next in line, I have a responsibility to live up to our name. It can be a little strenuous at times, but I enjoy being student council president."

"So nothing tragic, eh?"

Mitsuru lightly chuckled. "I'm afraid you will have to find someone else for a story like that."

"So, what will be my first duty on the student council be?"

"Cleaning the student council room. Everybody else left for the day."

"… You're kidding, right?"

* * *

_May 30, 2009, Saturday, After School_

Since he would be off from school the next day, Seth went to Game Panic and played a few games with Kaito. After a few hours when their hands started to feel cramped, they were standing at the entrance to the arcade.

"Damn carpal tunnel…" Kaito muttered out loud. "Shouldn't experienced fighting game players have some sort of immunity to this after so much joystick clicking?"

"It doesn't help that my right hand is still sore after all the notes I took in class today." Seth said.

"That explains why you were off your game." Kaito said.

"Ha!" Seth sarcastically laughed. "You sure are good. Do you practice a lot against your friends?"

"I don't have any friends."

"Oh…"

"Uh, okay, you're my friend, but there's not really anyone else. I just spend a lot of time practicing in training modes and fight online on the home versions. The lag can be awful, but it's the only means I have fighting against other people. But now that I have you, I don't have to rely on the Internet to find people to practice against."

"It's good for me, too. Both of us get experience and knowledge from our fights."

"Heh, to be honest, this is probably the most fun I've had in a while. Anyway, I've got some homework I want to wrap up so I can spend tomorrow relaxing."

"Yeah, me, too."

"Want to hit Chagall for some coffee before we go?"

"Sure."

As Seth and Kaito started walking to Chagall Café, Seth could have sworn that he saw someone turn their head as he looked in their direction. For some reason, he felt like someone was watching them just like last time. However, he decided to ignore it and continue to Chagall Café.

* * *

_May 31, 2009, Sunday, Daytime_

Seth went downstairs to make himself some lunch when he was greeted by Emi in the first floor lounge.

"Emi, you're the only one here?" Seth asked.

"The others went to do their own things." Emi stated. "They'll be gone for a while."

"Well, are you hungry? I could make you something to eat, too."

"I'm in the mood for… sausage." The way Emi said 'sausage' was rather strange.

"… Unusual choice for lunch, but not going to complain."

*Damn!* Emi thought before speaking again. "You know, it's getting awfully hot. Are you sure you don't want to strip down?"

"I feel fine. Did Homura tell you something? I only walk around naked in my room."

"Well, if you get hot cooking, don't be shy about taking your shirt off."

"… Ooookaaaaay…" Seth felt somewhat uncomfortable and went into the kitchen to begin cooking.

"… You know what? Just make whatever you want."

* * *

Seth decided to make a traditional bento in the dorm's kitchen while Emi spied on him from behind the door.

*Hopefully this will work…* She thought.

He continued to watch the rice and vegetables cook, making sure that nothing could go wrong.

"Emi's really going to like this." He said to himself.

"Seth."

"Hey, Emi, l-"

Seth stopped his mouth when he saw Emi walk in. However, Emi was only in her bra and panties upon walking into the kitchen. The black color of her undergarments and hair provided an attractive contrast to her pale, soft-looking skin. He couldn't help but find himself looking over every inch of her he could see. She was pretty skinny, not very shapely, but there were no signs of fat and it was pleasing to the eyes. Her breasts were nowhere near as big as Homura's or Mitsuru's, but they were a pretty good size.

"I was getting hot, so I decided to take my clothes off." Emi said in a seductive tone. "Don't want my clothes getting sweaty, do we?"

"Uhhhh…" Seth blankly stared.

"But I bet you'd rather have me walk around like this anyway. Good thing the others aren't here to see this. Homura would be furious, Daichi would be jealous and having a waterfall in his nose and Nobuo… I don't know."

Seth continued staring at the half-naked Emi until he smacked himself and shook his head.

"Sorry, Emi, but I have to keep an eye on the food or else it'll burn." Seth said. "You don't want a burnt lunch, do you?"

"Hmm, I guess not… You may have slithered your way out this time, but one day you won't resist the temptation."

"Well, we'll see about that."

Emi left the kitchen, turned to her clothes that she left next to the kitchen door in the lounge and started putting them back on.

*Almost had him…* She thought. *He was ogling me like I was eye candy. Next time, I'll get him in his room. And I think I have just the thing…*

Back in the kitchen, Seth was checking up on the food as thoughts were flowing through his head.

*Why did I have to stare?! I'm not a pig! How come when I see a woman showing her skin, I have to look at it?! I'm setting a bad example for Luke! Thank God there was no one else here or I'd be getting the lecturing and thrashing of a lifetime. I just need to get the thoughts out of my head and replace them with something else… Crap! Why did it have to be Homura in purple lingerie?!*

* * *

**A/N:** I'm ending the chapter about 100 words early, but it feels like a good place to stop. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Here is the updated status on Seth's Social Links:

**Heiwa (Fool) – Rank 3**

**Junpei (Magician) – Rank 3**

**Mitsuru (Empress) - Rank 2**

**Akihiko (Emperor) – Rank 1**

**Homura (Lovers) – Rank 3**

**Theodore (Hermit) – Rank 2**

**Nobuo (Fortune) – Rank 2**

**Daichi (Strength) – Rank 2**

**Makoto (Death) - Rank 1**

**Hardcore Gamer (Temperance) - Rank 2**

**Emi (Devil) – Rank 1**

**Troubled Woman (Tower) – Rank 1**

Stay tuned for next time!


	11. Chapter 11

**Here's the next chapter! I know it's a bit of a drag, but I'm trying to put in as much character and development as I can. But once we get to December and January, we'll be able to go through them more quickly since those are the most boring months in the game. Just bear with it. I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

_June 1, 2009, Monday, After School_

Seth was walking past the cemetery when he saw Makoto standing in front of his father's grave again. He went over to him, keeping quiet so he wouldn't disturb him. Once Makoto was done, he turned around to Seth.

"Sorry if I kept you waiting." Makoto said.

"There's nothing to be sorry about." Seth said. "You were just paying respects to your father."

"Heh, you know, you're the only other person I've talked to so casually since his passing." Makoto stated.

"What about your mom?"

Makoto looked down. "I never knew my mother… She died giving birth to me…"

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Now who's making unnecessary apologies?" Makoto chuckled. "But perhaps it's best I didn't know her. When someone you know of passes on, there is a gaping hole left in your heart. However, if you lack knowledge of their existence, there's no pain or suffering. I'm distraught by my father's death because I knew him. Perhaps then I wouldn't be feeling this combination of anguish and hatred."

"I'm not going to lie. It WOULD be easier if we didn't know about them. Unfortunately, that's not how real life works. I've never personally knew anyone who died, but from I've heard it's a painful thing to go through. But if no one is even aware of their existence, how are they supposed to live on? It's because of those painful memories that they continue to be talked about and live on with us even if their bodies can't. In fact, why am I even telling you this? You're my age. This should be obvious to you."

"Heh… Seth, you still don't understand how the cycle of death works. But yes, I should know that."

"Oh, before I go, you said you go to Gekkoukan, right?"

"Yes."

"Do you know anything about a 'ghost' that's supposedly attacking the school?"

"Hmm…" Makoto had to think about it for a minute. "I believe the rumor went that if you wander around the school late at night, an angry ghost that haunts the halls will eat your soul. Ghost or not, since nobody is dead that rumor is false. However, I do believe it's tied to those recent reports of bullying. Supposedly, some girls from 2-E were picking on their classmate. No one's heard from said classmate since then, though the school claims she's sick."

*2-E?* Seth thought. *Isn't that the class that SEES mentioned would be getting a new member from? And 'sick'? It's got to be her they're talking about.* "So you think this girl somehow died and her spirit is trying to get revenge on her bullies?"

"I don't believe in any of that horse plop."

"You can say 'bullshit', you know… There aren't any kids around…"

"Whatever the reason, it doesn't concern me."

"So that's all you know?"

"That's all I care about."

As Makoto walked away, Seth sat on a bench and contemplated the information that was just given to him about the 'Gekkoukan ghost'.

*There are a lot of things that don't add up here. If she did die, wouldn't those girls get expelled for causing the death of a student? And wouldn't anyone have found a body on campus, aside from those of the bullies? There are still plenty of holes in this story, but it's worth telling Homura, Daichi and the others.*

* * *

_June 2, 2009, Tuesday, After School_

After classes, Seth went to boxing practice to train with Akihiko. The two would trade places between attacker and defender, with the attacker delivering fast and powerful punches and the defender blocking with guards so there were at least no major injuries. Once both of them were finished, they grabbed towels to wipe off the buckets of sweat dripping down their bodies. Seth took his water bottle and started chugging it down. Even after a few seconds, he didn't try to catch his breath. It was only when he completely drank every last drop he had that he finally breathed.

"What a workout!" Seth exclaimed.

"Don't work out much?" Akihiko asked.

"Not until recently have I been really building bulk, but I did exercise and train after Heiwa recruited my brother and I." Seth answered. "Our parents are enlisted in the United States Army, at least before the first ten years of their marriage. It was only until about seven years ago they had to go back and that's when Heiwa showed up. They've been researching us and offered to look after us while our parents went to fight."

"Seven years… Do you mean…"

"Yeah… That awful day… Honestly, we tried to hide it from Luke because we didn't think he could take it. A year later, he found out and cried his eyes out. I'm not even trying to be funny; he was really, really sad. Anyway, enough about how I joined Heiwa. What was your motivation for joining SEES?"

"It's… not something I really like to talk about. Let's just say I wanted to become stronger and Mitsuru gave me a chance. I'd rather leave it at that."

Seth figured that whatever the reason, it was painful for Akihiko to bring up, so he decided to leave that topic alone.

"By the way, what was up with your punches earlier?" Akihiko chuckled. "I mean, you weren't weak, but I didn't even feel a thing!"

"Heh, eventually you WILL feel something."

* * *

_June 3, 2009, Wednesday, After School_

As Seth was packing up his things when class was done, Ms. Toriumi came up to him.

"Mr. Carter, may I have a word with you for a moment?" She asked.

"Did I do something wrong?" Seth asked.

"No, nothing like that." She answered. "However, I don't think you'll like what I'm about to ask of you. You see, a student from class 1-F tested very poorly on her midterms and is failing most of her classes. Part of the reason why is that she doesn't understand Japanese very well."

"What kind of student of a Japanese school wouldn't know Japan-She's not from Japan, is she?"

"No, she is American."

"And you want me to tutor her because I'm the only one here that isn't a teacher and can afford to spend my time helping someone with their grades?"

"Excellent, you catch on quickly. Now we don't have to sound selfish for asking you. Your first session starts tomorrow." Ms. Toriumi walked away once she was finished.

"… 'Have a nice day, Mr. Carter.'" Seth quietly imitated her before speaking in his normal voice. "Tax dollars at their finest… Or… yen… whatever…"

* * *

_June 4, 2009, Thursday, After School_

Seth was walking down the hall with his bag slung over his shoulders until he reached the library. He slid open the door and looked around for the American girl he was supposed to tutor. After examining the library over, he stopped upon seeing a young woman with long blonde hair, crystal blue eyes and wearing the Gekkoukan uniform. Her facial features were also different than that of anyone else he's seen around Tatsumi Port Island, so he figured she was probably the girl he was tutoring. He walked over to the table she was sitting at.

"I presume you are the American I am supposed to be tutoring?" Seth asked in English.

She looked up at him. "Finally! Someone who can speak English!"

"Shhhhhhh!" A collective shush echoed through the library.

"You've probably heard I'm not doing so well in my classes." She quietly said to Seth. "You see, my parents are here on business for the year and they didn't think things through when they had me transferred here."

"… Why didn't they just leave you home?" He inquired. "Wouldn't you be able to understand your teachers better back in America?"

"They didn't want to leave me alone at home and they're very distant with their relatives. They handed me one of those idiots' guides to Japanese, but it was a bit confusing and didn't account for writing. And people talk so fast it drives me insane."

"… Wait, Ms. Toriumi told me that you're failing MOST of your classes. Which one are you passing?"

"Math."

"I see. It's not that you don't understand the material; it's just that you don't understand what the material is saying… That came out wrong. What I mean is that you can't read the texts they give you. Let me help you understand Japanese better so you can better read the materials and tests. I'll give you tips that helped me better grasp the language when I first came here."

"Thank you very much!"

"Shhhhhhhh!"

"By the way, what's your name?" She asked.

"Seth Carter."

"I'm **Liliana Pierce** (Age 14). It's a pleasure to meet you."

For the rest of the afternoon, Seth helped Liliana understand the phrases used on her homework and gave her tips on how to best memorize Japanese phrases.

* * *

_June 5, 2009, Friday, After School_

Seth and Homura went to the park where they got some shaved ice.

"What flavor did you get?" Homura asked.

"I don't know." Seth answered. "I just said 'surprise me'. Whatever it is… It just tastes like plain ice. Luke would probably get the lemon flavor. He's very picky and can be finicky when asked to try new things."

Suddenly an obnoxious, muffled ringing could be heard and Homura pulled out her phone, which made the sound clearer and more obnoxious as a result.

"Hello?" Homura answered the phone. "… Oh! Hi, Mom! How are you? … I'm just hanging out with Seth… We're just in the park, don't worry… What?! You want to talk to him?!"

"I don't mind talking to your mother." Seth said. "… Unless she's going to yell at me."

"I-it's not that…" Homura said to Seth, covering her hand over the phone so her mother wouldn't hear and uncovered it when she was done. "… He… He DOES want to talk to you… Could you please at least not embarrass me? … Here."

Homura handed Seth the phone and he placed it by his ear.

"Hello, Mrs. Ryukawa." Seth said.

"_So YOU'RE the infamous Seth we've heard so much about."_ Homura's mother said.

"Uh, 'infamous'?" Seth asked.

"_It's only a joke. Our daughter has certainly told us a lot about you. You don't have any funny ideas about her, do you?"_

"No, ma'am."

"_Aoi, who are you talking to?"_ An unfamiliar man's voice spoke in the background.

"_Honey, I'm talking to that Seth boy Homura said she likes."_

"Uh, Mrs. Ryukawa, I can still hear you and I don't think Homura would appreciate you saying that." Seth said.

"What did she say?!" Homura asked with a furious blush on her face.

"_You seem like a nice boy, so we wouldn't mind if you dated our daughter."_ Ms. Ryukawa said.

"_Just don't sleep with her!"_

"_Anyway, it was nice to finally speak with you. I have to schedule my husband's day for tomorrow. Goodbye."_

The call ended and Seth just blankly looked at the phone for a minute.

"What did they say?" Homura asked.

"… I'm sorry, but the only thing on my mind is how I'd be talking in the exact same way when I talk to the girl who will be Luke's girlfriend."

* * *

_June 6, 2009, Saturday, Evening_

As soon as the sun was below the horizon and the city was blanketed in the dark of night, at his dorm Seth was finishing up his studying for the night as there was a knock on his door.

"How many times have you knocked on my door, Homura?" Seth asked.

"It's Daichi." His voice came from the other side of the door. "Come downstairs to the lounge immediately. There's some important business we need to talk about. Like the 'ghost'."

Those words instantly drew Seth's attention as he got off his bed and came to the door. He and Daichi went downstairs to the dorm's lounge where Homura, Nobuo and Emi were waiting on the couch.

"Good, now we can start." Homura said. "You know those strange incidents of the girls being left unconscious in front of the school gates?"

"Yeah." Seth nodded.

"Well, it turns out those girls all hung out together." Nobuo continued. "They've also been getting involved with some shady characters in the bad part of the city."

"Long story short, you and I are going to there to get some more information." Emi said.

"Way to ruin the scene, Emi…" Nobuo mumbled.

"Why not all five of us?" Seth questioned.

"Well… You see…" Daichi hesitated to answer. "You two are the only semi-intimidating ones in our group, so… heheh…"

* * *

With the city devoid of sunlight, the only sources of light were the street lamps and signs of whatever places were open at this time. Seth made sure to stay close to the lights so he wouldn't get jumped by unsavory characters and Emi walked right next to him. As they entered a dark alley, they saw a rather large, scary-looking man with a black cap on his head, black pants and a fuchsia trench coat.

"Hey, we have a couple of questions we want to ask you." Seth said to the man.

The man examined Seth and Emi. "You two are from Gekkoukan. What are you doing in this part of the city?"

"Like I said, we have questions." Seth answered. "We've heard that some girls from our school hung out around here. Know anything about them?"

"Does it have something to do with that ghost story?" He asked.

"Actually, yeah." Seth said.

"Aw, man, I was really hoping we'd torture someone tonight…" Emi mumbled.

"GAH!"

They could hear a loud groan coming from further in the alley. Seth knew that someone was getting hurt there and his instincts made him rush in the direction of the noise. Emi just sighed and chased after Seth. The man then sighed and followed them. Seth kept running until he saw Minato, Yukari hiding behind him and Junpei kneeling to the ground and cradling his stomach. All three of them were surrounded by four angry young men.

"Minato… Junpei… Yukari, what are you doing here?!" Seth asked.

"Oh, this a friend of yours?" One of the punks asked.

The punk pulled out a knife and charged at Seth, but he punched him in the face before he could even thrust it, knocking the punk to the ground.

"People like you do what they want and don't care about how your actions affect those you hurt." Seth started trembling with rage. "Scum like you make my blood boil…"

"That's enough."

The man Seth just spoke with a moment ago, along with Emi, walked up to him. While Emi stopped walking when she was next to Seth, the man kept walking toward the three that were still surrounding Minato, Yukari and Junpei.

"They didn't know what they were getting into." The man said to the punks. "I'll make sure they leave. Alright?"

"Who do you think you are, dumbass?" One of the punks asked.

The punk Seth had punched to the ground finally got back up on his feet, rubbing his bruised jaw.

"You want some, too?!"

The punk charged at the man this time, only for the man to head-butt him back to the ground. It sounded like it seriously hurt both of their skulls, but the man was still standing as if it didn't bother him at all.

*Yeesh, this guy's tough…* Seth thought.

"Damn you, Shinjiro…" One of the other punks growled at the man. "Wait… That's right. You're from Gekko High, too, aren't ya? I thought you were one of us."

"What gave you that idea?" The man named Shinjiro questioned. "I don't remember swearing a blood oath."

"You sons of bitches!" The punk that got beaten down twice shouted as he got up again. "You just crossed the line! You think you're going home alive?!"

Seth's eyes became much angrier and he cracked his knuckles. "I'd be more than willing to put all of you in the hospital."

*I didn't think Seth had this dark side to him.* Emi thought. *… It's actually pretty hot…*

His attitude made the punks suddenly afraid of him and run off.

"Sorry, I'm not usually like that." Seth said to his friends. "Let's just say I used to know a lot of people like that."

"Wow, Seth-kun, Senpai, that was awesome!" Junpei said as he finally recovered from his injury.

"You idiots!" Shinjiro shouted at them. "Get outta here. This place isn't for you."

"Wait!" Yukari resolutely got out from behind Minato to stop Shinjiro from leaving. "We came here for a reason!"

Shinjiro looked at them again. "I remember you now… You were at the hospital. Did Aki tell you to come here?"

"No, he didn't." Minato answered.

*Is he connected with SEES somehow?* Seth wondered.

"What do you want to know? About that ghost story?" Shinjiro inquired.

Yukari seemed surprised. "Um, yeah… How'd you know?"

"It's a rumor, and these two here just asked me about it." Shinjiro answered as he sat down on a small set of stairs. "Those girls who wound up in the hospital were here talkin' shit every night about all the things they did to this girl named Fuuka."

"Fuuka Yamagishi from 2-E?" Junpei asked. "They were picking on her?"

"That's why people are saying it's Fuuka's spirit that did it." Shinjiro continued. "It's all over the net, too."

"Wait, what do you mean by 'Fuuka's spirit'?" Yukari asked.

"Don't you guys know?" Shinjiro questioned. "This Fuuka girl might be dead. She hasn't been home in over a week. You go to the same school! How do you not know this?!"

A look of shock was on everyone's faces, except for Emi who just yawned.

*So what Makoto said was right.* Seth thought.

"Are you serious?" Junpei asked. "I thought she was out sick… But, she's missing?!"

"That rules out the ghost story." Yukari said. "Mr. Ekoda is the homeroom teacher for 2-E. Does he know something about this?"

Shinjiro then stood up and mumbled to himself. "I get it, Aki… Still trying to make up for the past… It's you who can't let go…"

Everyone looked at Shinjiro in confusion.

"Nothing…" Shinjiro brushed them off. "That's all I know. Satisfied?"

"Yeah, thanks, Senpai!" Junpei removed his cap and bowed to Shinjiro.

"This information will be very helpful." Seth said. "Thanks for your time."

Junpei then looked to Minato, who was still blankly staring at Shinjiro.

"C'mon, show some appreciation." Junpei nudged Minato.

Minato politely bowed to Shinjiro, followed by one from Yukari.

"You totally helped us out." Yukari said. "You're very kind."

"Huh?" Shinjiro reacted.

"I, uh, never mind." Yukari slightly panicked.

Shinjiro turned around and walked away. "Tch, don't come here again."

With the information claimed, both groups headed back to their respective dorms for the rest of the night.

* * *

_June 7, 2009, Sunday, Daytime_

On his day off from school, Seth was hanging out with Junpei at the strip mall, eating some takoyaki.

"Man, that was pretty crazy last night." Junpei said before taking a bite of his takoyaki, but quickly taking it out of his mouth. "Owch! Hot!"

"Be patient and let it cool for a couple minutes." Seth told him.

"You were pretty scary last night." Junpei stated. "I always thought of you as the heroic type, but… that was dark, man."

"Well, when I was a stupid kid, like 8, I hung out with other kids like that. We'd pick on a lot of people, but the more we did it, the more I saw how it was affecting the lives of those they picked on. Some of them were traumatized, becoming so scared of other people that they never came to school again. When I saw that the next kid they were going to bully was Luke, I snapped and beat all every single one of them. I got in a shitload of trouble that day. Grounded for three weeks. Now you know why I can't stand bullies. Just the thought of them makes me so angry I just want to break down the nearest wall I see."

"I didn't think you could be so intense, but at least I know it's because your heart is in the right place. Anyway, let's get to less serious topic. How about girls?"

"Yeah, you live with two attractive young women. Which one's your type?"

"Mitsuru-senpai may have that killer bod, but Yuka-tan seems easier to get along with… Despite the fact that last night was her idea."

"I myself would choose Mitsuru. She has this commanding, authoritative presence, but there's no fear being instilled. And it's clear that she cares greatly for our safety."

"Well, how about the girls in your dorm? Actually, that's a pretty easy one."

"Yeah, Emi is kinda creepy." Seth didn't even want to bring up what happened between him and Emi a week ago. "I'd pick Homura, too. Though it's her personality. Her body has nothing to do with it… But I won't complain either…"

"Ha, you try to hide it, but you're no different than any other guy."

"In that sense, we're all perverts. It's just how well we hide that perversion that counts. Actually, there's something about Mitsuru."

"Huh?"

"I'm being a hundred percent serious; no dirty talk. I feel as if she's not fully opening up to any of us."

"Well, no use worrying about it now. Our takoyaki's getting' cold."

* * *

**A/N:** I made this chapter a little longer so I can focus on the Reverse Empress and Emperor in the next one. This also took a little longer because I was addicted to _Persona 4: Dancing All Night_, which is a super-fun game! Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed! Stay tuned for next time! Here are the current Social Link Ranks:

**Heiwa (Fool) – Rank 3**

**Junpei (Magician) – Rank 4**

**Mitsuru (Empress) - Rank 2**

**Akihiko (Emperor) – Rank 2**

**Homura (Lovers) – Rank 4**

**Theodore (Hermit) – Rank 2**

**Nobuo (Fortune) – Rank 2**

**Daichi (Strength) – Rank 2**

**Makoto (Death) - Rank 2**

**Hardcore Gamer (Temperance) - Rank 2**

**Emi (Devil) – Rank 1**

**Troubled Woman (Tower) – Rank 1**

**Leliana (Star) - Rank 1**


	12. Chapter 12

**Time for the search for Fuuka! I just finished one of the other stories so I have more time to focus on this one. I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

_June 8, 2009, Monday, Lunchtime_

At the start of their lunch break, Seth and Homura were walking to the faculty office to question Mr. Ekoda on the status of Fuuka Yamagishi, which was where Minato, Yukari and Junpei were heading as well for the same goal. Once they reached their destination, they saw Mitsuru speaking with Mr. Ekoda. Seth also noticed the dark-skinned girl he saw the other day clutching onto her head like she was having a serious migraine.

"Looks like we all got the same idea." Seth said.

Mitsuru nodded at him. "Indeed." She turned back to Mr. Ekoda. "Mr. Ekoda, I'm here to ask you about a student named Fuuka Yamagishi."

"NO!" The dark-skinned girl yelled.

The sudden outburst startled everyone in the room.

"I-I never thought it'd turn out like this…" She said while her body shook. "Fuuka…"

Yukari immediately recognized her from the other day as well.

"What did you do to Yamagishi?" Mitsuru inquired.

"Hold on, Mitsuru." Mr. Ekoda interjected. "This isn't an interrogation. Natsuki, you don't have to say anything if you don't want to. You wouldn't want to give her the wrong idea."

"This is someone's life we're talking about!" Seth nearly shouted. "It shouldn't matter if this is interrogation or not!"

"Seth, calm down." Homura gently held his arm to keep him from going berserk.

"Fuuka… She…" The girl Mr. Ekoda referred to as Natsuki spoke up. "She always looked so frazzled whenever I gave her a hard time… But then I realized… Even though she's an honor student… she's just like us… I always knew which buttons to push… We were only messing with her, and on that day, too… May 29th… We brought Fuuka to the gym… and locked the door from the outside…"

"That's a really mean thing to do, you know!" Seth growled at Natsuki.

"Later that night, Maki went back to the school because she thought we'd get in trouble if Fuuka committed suicide." Natsuki continued. "But she never came back… Until the next morning…"

"When they found her in front of the school gates." Yukari said.

"I went to the gym to let Fuuka out, but the door was still locked…" Natsuki stated. "So I opened it, but there was no sign of her anywhere… We all freaked out and went out every night to look for her, but one by one my friends started ending up like Maki."

"I see…" Mitsuru looked somewhat sullen, but regained her normal expression as she turned back to Mr. Ekoda. "By the way, Mr. Ekoda, all this time you've attributed Yamagishi's absence to 'illness'. But in reality, you must have known that she was missing. What was your intention?"

"I was thinking of the students, of course." Mr. Ekoda replied. "You children may not understand, but we have to consider the future of everyone affected."

"More like you're trying to cover your ass so you don't lose your job!" Seth barked. "Fuuka could be dead for all we know!"

"Watch your language with your elders, young man!"

"Seth, please calm down!" Homura tried to stop Seth again.

"I also wouldn't want Natsuki's records to be stained by this." Mr. Ekoda stated. "Her parents agree, as well."

Mitsuru's leer intensified. "So to protect your career, you blatantly ignored your responsibilities as a teacher? How despicable!"

"See? Mitsuru agrees with me." Seth said.

Mr. Ekoda was taken aback by Mitsuru's statement. She used this opportunity to speak with Natsuki.

"About your friends…" Mitsuru gently spoke to her. "Did you notice anything unusual before the incidents? Anything at all?"

Something came to Natsuki's mind immediately. "… They all heard a creepy voice... Right before they went missing. They said it was calling their name."

"Oh man…" Junpei muttered.

"Senpai, could it be…?!" Yukari asked.

"That seems very likely." Seth replied.

Mitsuru walked back to her comrades. "There's no doubt about it. It must be them." She turned back to Mr. Ekoda. "Mr. Ekoda, please excuse us for a moment."

The six of them went outside the faculty office and Mitsuru spoke up.

"Now we know how normal people can be conscious during the Dark Hour." Mitsuru said.

"The voice draws them in and the Shadows feed on them." Homura said.

"This whole thing has made me realize they're clearly targeting humans." Mitsuru said. "Shadows are the enemy of mankind. I'm going to request Moriyama to stay at our dorm tonight. It will be the safest place for her. I also believe that Yamagishi is all right, as well. I'll explain everything in the Student Council room after school. Prepare for tonight's operation."

"Tonight?" Minato questioned.

"We're going to rescue Yamagishi." Mitsuru clarified. "If my guess is correct, she should still be in the school."

"… I think I get it." Seth said. "The school transforms into Tartarus at midnight. If Fuuka, who's a Persona-user, was still trapped in the gym at that time, she probably wound up somewhere in Tartarus. Since her bullies couldn't find her, we can assume that she got stuck in Tartarus. Normally, someone wouldn't be able to survive ten days without food or water. However, if she's in Tartarus, which only appears an hour each day and presume time is warped during the Dark Hour, it's probably only felt like ten hours for her instead of ten days."

Everyone just blankly stared at Seth with surprised looks.

"… Y-yes… You came to that conclusion by yourself that quickly?" Mitsuru asked as her usual composed expression had a bit of surprise in them as well.

Seth just remained silent for a few minutes. "… You shall speak of this genius to no one."

"Why?" Minato asked. "Are you afraid of people thinking you're smart?"

"… Kind of." Seth reluctantly answered.

* * *

_June 8, 2009, Monday, After School_

All ten members from SEES and Heiwa all convened at the Student Council room once classes were over.

"This should be everyone, so let's start." Homura said.

"Tonight, we will infiltrate the campus." Mitsuru stated. "Our objective is to rescue Fuuka Yamagishi."

"Ya know, if Seth hadn't explained it before I'd be totally lost." Junpei said.

"Of course, that's only a theory." Akihiko pointed out. "She might still be alive, but there's also the possibility that she's dead. Especially if she encountered Shadows in Tartarus."

"True." Yukari said. "Even if she's still alive, we might not be able to get to her."

"Are you just gonna let her die then?!" Akihiko shouted at Yukari. Once he calmed down, he started speaking again. "Anyway, I have an idea on how we might be able to find Yamagishi. We enter Tartarus the same way she did. We'll go to the gym and wait for midnight. That's the quickest way."

"That also sounds really dangerous." Homura said. "The school's shape becomes distorted. Who knows where you'll end up, presuming you even survive it. For all we know, you could end up being stuck in a wall."

"Honestly, I have reservations on this plan, myself." Mitsuru admitted. "If something goes wrong, some of you might end up lost in Tartarus just like Yamagishi. But…"

"I won't stand by and do nothing if there's a chance to save her!" Akihiko protested. "I'd never forgive myself. If you guys don't want to go, I'll do it myself."

"Akihiko?" Seth asked out of concern.

"… Alright." Mitsuru said. "We're aware of the risks, but we can't just leave her there."

"I agree." Yukari nodded. "And we won't know until we try."

"Ditto." Seth also agreed.

"Cool, we get to sneak into the school!" Junpei was getting excited. "Heheh, in that case, I know just what to do."

Nobuo thought to himself. *… Perhaps I can get a peek at some future test questions… No! A hero shouldn't do something so dishonorable!"

* * *

_June 8, 2009, Monday, Nighttime_

Afterward, Seth went back to the dorm to get a nap before the night's Tartarus excursion. SEES couldn't get a hold of Ikutsuki, but Junpei had managed to unlock one of the doors earlier and they were all able to get in. All of them, except for Daichi who was ordered to keep an eye on Natsuki back at SEES's dorm, were inside the school, where it was dark and every room was empty.

"See? We got in no problem." Junpei said. "Man, I'm a genius!"

"Is breaking into a school really something to brag about?" Yukari questioned.

"So you unlocked it earlier… Tres bien." Mitsuru said.

"No time for compliments." Akihiko said. "Let's go."

They went into classroom 2-F to wait for the Dark Hour to come.

"Can we turn on the lights?" Yukari asked.

"Aww, you scared?" Junpei asked in a teasing tone.

"No, Stupei!" Yukari snapped back.

Emi snuck up behind Yukari quietly and discretely.

"… Boo."

"EEEEEEAAAAAAAAHHH!" Yukari shrieked.

"Aheheheheh…" Emi chuckled.

"Hehehaha!" Junpei laughed.

"It's wasn't funny!" Yukari shouted.

Seth tried to hold back his laughter as best as he could.

"Quiet." Akihiko told them. "It's better we leave them off. They cut the power at night, anyway."

"I don't like sneaking around." Yukari expressed.

"I love it." Emi said.

Yukari leered at Emi until Mitsuru spoke up.

"First, we need to find the key to the gym." Mitsuru debriefed. "Akihiko, Carter, Ryukawa and I will check the janitor's room. The rest of you can check the faculty office. After that, we'll meet in the main hallway. Got it?"

"The faculty office, huh…" Junpei said. "Maybe we can find some test questions. Heheheh…"

"On second thought, I'll head to the faculty office, too." Akihiko said. "Sounds interesting."

"You're not planning something unscrupulous under my supervision, are you?" Mitsuru asked. "… If so, then prepare to be severely punished."

"I-it was a joke!" Junepi panicked. "I'd never do something like that! Heheh… heh…"

"Lighten up a little, Mitsuru…" Akihiko sighed.

* * *

_June 8, 2009, Monday, Dark Hour_

Junpei's comment forced Mitsuru to have him join the janitor's room team with herself, Akihiko, Seth and Homura. They couldn't find the key there, but Minato's team managed to find it. After that, they were once again split into two teams. Minato, Seth, Junpei, Akihiko and Nobuo would wait in the school for the Dark Hour to arrive. The girls would wait outside the gates so they can monitor them from the first floor.

Somewhere in the Arqa block of Tartarus, Seth was lying on the ground and getting up.

"Never again…" He groaned. "At least we all made it in o-"

He looked around to see that there was no one else around.

"… Great…" He stood up. "We're all separated… But at least this block is familiar. I should probably focus on finding everyone first."

Seth walked forward with his double-sided sword readied in case of any Shadows he might come across.

"_Ca… do y… d me?"_ A voice drenched in static could be heard in Seth's head.

"Mitsuru, is that you?" Seth asked. "I've been separated from the others."

"_I ca… ear y…b… e?"_

"I can't hear you. Should I go up or down?"

"… _u…"_

"I'll assume you said 'up'."

He went looking around until he found the stairs. After going up, he looked around for any sight of his friends and Fuuka and took a step forward.

"Who is there?" An unfamiliar voice spoke up. "Are you human?"

Seth looked around frantically for the source of the voice until he saw someone pop out from a nearby corner. It was a girl with pale skin and short green hair, almost like moss, wearing the Gekkoukan uniform.

"You must be Fuuka Yamagishi." Seth said. "What a relief. You're still alive. Don't worry. Me and a few friends came here to rescue you… Except we got separated."

Fuuka walked up to him. "Thank goodness. Where are we? I remember being at school, but then…"

"It's a long story." Seth answered. "Just relax for-"

"There's somebody behind that corner there!"

Seth turned around to where Fuuka was pointing.

"Minato? Akihiko? Junpei? Nobuo? Are any of you there?" Seth called out to whoever was behind the corner.

Nobody came out and they remained hidden.

"They're not coming out…" Fuuka said.

"Stay behind me." Seth said. "If it's a monster… or a hostile human… Run away." *I can't rule out the possibility that there's another one of the Hands of Anarchy out for our heads. If it is… I just hope they never got to the others…*

Just as Seth was about to arrive at the corner, Fuuka sensed something.

"It's going to attack!" Fuuka shouted.

Seth stopped in his tracks and the moment he saw a glimmer of light from a blade, he turned around and tackled Fuuka to the ground. The blade of pierced the wall and they looked up to see that it was part of a halberd.

"Sorry I knocked you over like that." Seth said to Fuuka before standing up.

The halberd was removed from the wall and the wielder was revealed as a figure wearing the signature cloak of the Hands of Anarchy. However, he was skinnier and smaller than the one Seth fought when he first entered Tartarus.

"Fuuka, get back!"Seth shouted.

The cloaked figure dashed off further into the floor's labyrinth while Seth looked in surprise.

"… He just ran away?" Seth questioned. "I mean, I'm grateful, since no one gets hurt. I just wasn't expecting it… But why did he run away?" However, something came to his mind. "How did you survive this long in here, anyway?"

"Seth!"

The two of them looked over to see Minato, Akihiko, Junpei and Nobuo running up to him.

"Is she Fuuka?" Junpei asked.

Seth nodded. "I'm glad you guys are okay. I thought that Hand of Anarchy guy got to you."

"Wait, what?!" Nobuo exclaimed.

"Fuuka sensed them and when I confronted them, they just ran off." Seth clarified.

"YOU IDIOT!" Nobuo shouted. "You should've went after him!"

"I couldn't fight him alone." Seth stated. "Now that we're all together and found Fuuka, what do you want to do?"

"Let me try to get in contact with Mitsuru." Akihiko said.

While Akihiko was trying to communicate with the girls on the first floor, Fuuka dropped to her knees and the rest of the guys walked up to her.

"By the way, are ya hurt?" Junpei asked. "Did you run into any monsters?"

"So there ARE strange creatures here…" Fuuka said. "I've managed to avoid them so far."

"… How?" Seth questioned with surprise.

"Umm… It's hard to describe, but…" Fuuka tried to find the right words. "It's like I know where they are, even though I can't visibly see them."

"What do you mean?" Minato asked.

After failing to contact Mitsuru, Akihiko managed to catch the last of their conversation.

"She has the same power as Mitsuru." Akihiko surmised. "Maybe even stronger in terms of support since Mitsuru's Persona is more battle-oriented." He walked over to Fuuka and handed her an Evoker. "Hang on to this."

Fuuka gasped at the sight of it. "B-but this is-!"

"It's not really a gun." Seth stated.

"We should probably go after that Hand of Anarchy guy before he gets away." Nobuo said.

* * *

They walked around the entire floor and found no signs of anything other than Shadows. As soon as they were walking across what seemed like a window, they could make out the eerie, yellow full moon in the sky.

"Whoa, check out the moon!" Junpei said.

"It's both beautiful and unsettling at the same time." Nobuo said.

"Some research indicates that some Shadows are affected by the phases of the moon." Akihiko stated. "Of course, the same could be said for humans."

"That would explain Yuka-tan's mood swings." Junpei joked.

"Wait… Wasn't it a full moon on the night on the monorail?" Minato asked.

"Now that you mention it… The moon was a lot like it is tonight." Seth replied.

"Was it?" Akihiko realized something. "And while we're on the subject, wasn't the dorm attacked when the full moon was out, back in April?"

"It was full." Minato answered.

Akihiko immediately placed his fingers against his ears. "Mitsuru! Are you there?!"

"_Akihiko… ? Shadows-"_ Mitsuru's voice was disrupted with copious amounts of interference.

"Hey, can you hear me?!" Akihiko shouted. "Mitsuru, come in!"

"I have a REALLY bad feeling about this…" Seth muttered.

"… What is this thing?" Fuuka asked out of nowhere, drawing the attention of the five guys. "It's much bigger than the others… And it's attacking someone…"

"Shit!" Seth growled. "We need to get to the girls, pronto!"

"Wh-what's goin' on?!" Junpei questioned.

"It's one of THEM!" Akihiko answered. "If our theory is right, then they come out every full moon! We have to hurry!"

* * *

The five guys and Fuuka managed to get down to the first floor, where they saw Mitsuru's bike destroyed and Homura and Emi lying unconscious and wounded on the ground, with Yukari barely able to stand up. In front of them were two large Shadows that looked almost like chess pieces. One of them was short, obese and carrying a wand while the other was tall, lanky and wielding a sword.

"There's two of them?!" Nobuo exclaimed.

The taller Shadow was holding a barely conscious Mitsuru in its clutches.

"Mitsuru!" Akihiko shouted.

"I don't get it!" Yukari said as she struggled to get up. "None of our attacks are working!"

The two large Shadows turned toward them.

"Oh shit!" Junpei shouted. "They look pissed!"

"Hold on, Mitsuru!" Seth shouted. "I'm coming!"

Seth jumped toward the tall Shadow, readying his blades to strike off its arms and free Mitsuru, but his sword seemed to faze right through the Shadow as if it didn't even exist.

"What the hell?!" Seth responded. "I knew I hit that thing!"

"Didn't you hear what I just said, you hothead?!" Yukari questioned.

Suddenly, someone entered from the outside door.

"Hey, isn't that…?!" Junpei was surprised.

"Why the hell is SHE here?!" Akihiko questioned.

The person who had entered was none other than Natsuki, who seemed to be in a zombie-like state as she walked toward Fuuka.

"Fu… uka…"

_(To be continued…)_

* * *

**A/N:** I didn't intend for this to be two parts, but I will focus mostly on the battle against the Reverse Empress and Reverse Emperor. I wanted to get this out sooner, but I was addicted to _The Phantom Pain_ and _Tales of Zestiria_, as well as studying. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed! Stay tuned for next time!


	13. Chapter 13

**I'm re-continuing this story! However, I will be posting this alongside my other story **_**Remnants of Peace**_**, so that I can still work on it. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

_June 8, 2009, Monday, Dark Hour_

At the worst possible time, Natsuki came in between Heiwa, S.E.E.S. and the two giant Shadows. As she approached Fuuka, she fell to her knees.

"M-Moriyama-san, why…" Fuuka ran to Natsuki.

"Fuuka, stop!" Seth shouted.

Fuuka sat on her knees in front of Natsuki. "Please, you have to get out of here! It's really dangerous right now!"

Natsuki lifted her head up to look directly at Fuuka, her voice still in a trance-like monotone. "I… I need to tell you… I'm sorry…"

The Reverse Empress looked down at Fuuka and Natsuki.

"Shit!" Seth growled and began charging. "You guys help those two while I get Mitsuru away from that thing!"

Seth jumped up and swung his double-sided sword down on the Reverse Emperor's arms, but the blade fazed right through it and rolled onto the ground to recover the failed hit.

"What the hell?!" Seth exclaimed. "I knew I hit it!"

"Wait! That's not a real gun!" He heard Akihiko shout.

Seth looked to see Fuuka holding an Evoker in her hands.

"_I know…"_ It was as if she was speaking to them through her mind.

As the Reverse Empress was about to strike, Fuuka pulled the trigger and she and Natsuki were now inside of a glass sphere that bounced the large Shadow's attack and recoiled her right into the side of the Reverse Emperor, forcing him to drop Mitsuru as she slid across the floor toward the still unconscious Yukari, Homura and Emi. When everything was clear, they could see that the glass sphere protecting Fuuka and Natsuki was a part of the former's Persona, Lucia. Minato ran to Yukari, Akihiko to Mitsuru, Daichi to Homura and Nobuo to Emi to pull them out of there.

Daichi smirked as he thought this would be his only chance to touch Homura's boobs, if only for a second.

"Grope her and I'll do to you what those girls did to Fuuka!" Seth threatened.

Daichi retracted his hand and panicked away with Homura.

"_I… I can see… these monsters' weaknesses…"_ Fuuka spoke through her Persona.

"It's just as I thought." Akihiko said. "Mitsuru, stay back for now and let Fuuka take your place."

"I see. Yamagishi, can you assist the others?" Mitsuru asked.

"_I'll do my best!"_ Fuuka replied.

"Seth." Minato spoke up. "You and your team focus on the round one. My team will handle the tall one."

"Right." Seth nodded. "Daichi! Nobuo! Let's go!"

"_The tall one is immune to physical attacks, but weak to magic attacks!"_ Fuuka stated. _"The round one is the exact opposite; use physical attacks on her!"_

"Oberon!" Seth fired his Evoker at his head to summon the Persona Oberon.

Oberon began slashing away at the Reverse Empress with his twin swords, but she kept deflecting them away with her wand.

"Hephaestus!" Nobuo shot his Evoker.

Hephaestus appeared and tried to get behind the Reverse Empress for a pincer attack. He swung his hammer at her, sending her all the way to the wall.

At the same time, Minato and Junpei summoned their respective Personas, Orpheus and Hermes, to cast a fire spells at the Reverse Emperor. Akihiko called forth his Persona, Polydeuces, to attack the Shadow with bolts of lightning. They kept up their attacks until the Shadow was pushed to the wall alongside the Reverse Empress.

"Time to finish them off!" Minato and Seth shouted.

Minato replaced Orpheus with Valkyrie and fired an ice shard at the Reverse Emperor as Seth switched Oberon with Jason and charged at the Reverse Empress with his spear. Both of the large Shadows stood up and cast some sort of spell on themselves. Both of the Personas' attacks went right through their respective targets without even leaving a scratch.

"What just happened?!" Junpei exclaimed.

"_They changed their weaknesses!"_ Fuuka said. _"Hold on for just a minute. I'm reanalyzing them now."_

"Can you make it quicker?" Seth asked.

The Reverse Emperor brought his huge sword down on Seth and he barely jumped out of the way as his foot was almost chopped off.

"Please?!" Seth shouted. "I don't plan on losing another limb anytime soon!"

The Reverse Empress slammed her wand against Hephaestus' face and he fell over.

"Daichi, assistance!" Nobuo shouted.

"On it!" Daichi shot his Evoker at his head. "Heracles!"

Heracles punched the Reverse Empress with his large fist, but the attack did nothing.

"Blunt force doesn't work either?!" Daichi yelled.

"Minato, Junpei, Akihiko, how are you guys holding up?" Seth asked.

"Fighting for our lives here!" Junpei replied loudly as he had Hermes cast another fire spell on the Reverse Emperor, only for it to have no effect.

Minato commanded Valkyrie to slash at the Reverse Emperor, but it didn't do anything either as he swung his sword on the Persona and Minato was forced to recall her.

"Fire, ice and slashing don't seem to work anymore…" Minato grunted.

"Let's see if fists will work!" Akihiko charged at the Reverse Emperor.

The Reverse Emperor tried to slam his sword down on Akihiko, but he side-stepped out of the way swiftly and continued charging until he punched the bent over body of the Shadow right in the heart and sent him flying upward.

"Orpheus!" Minato fired his Evoker again.

Orpheus appeared behind him, leaped into the air and above the Reverse Emperor and then whacked him in the back with his lyre which sent it hurdling toward the ground. Akihiko quickly got out of the way before the Reverse Emperor crashed into the floor.

"Let's finish this, Polydeuces!" Akihiko summoned Polydeuces, had him charge at the limp body of the Reverse Emperor and punched him in the face while moving at great speeds.

The Reverse Emperor's helm was sent flying off as the giant Shadow's form began to dissipate.

"Fuuka?!" Seth shouted as he tried dodging another of the Reverse Empress's wand strikes. "How much longer?!"

"_Al... most… Wind! Use wind attacks!"_

"Seth, our Personas can't use wind skills!" Daichi stated.

"Then I'll switch to one!" Seth aimed his Evoker at his own head. "Nigi Mitama!"

Seth fired his Evoker and summoned the Persona Nigi Mitama who cast a wind spell that tripped up the Reverse Empress, leaving her open for Seth, Daichi and Nobuo to unleash an all-out attack on her and drain the last of the strength she had. After her body stopped moving, it began to disintegrate much like the Reverse Emperor's into nothingness.

Once the battle was over, Lucia vanished and the girls had finally woken up.

"It's over…" Fuuka sighed in relief. "I don't sense anymore monsters…" She then turned to Natsuki. "Are… are you all… righ…"

Suddenly, Fuuka collapsed to the ground and passed out.

"Fuuka!" Natsuki shouted.

"It's alright." Mitsuru assured her. "She's just exhausted."

"Let's just hope it's not for over a week." Minato joked in his typical monotone.

"By the way, where did those two Shadows come from?" Akihiko inquired.

"They appeared outside of Tartarus." Homura answered.

"It was just like before." Mitsuru added.

"Um, what are we going to do with Natsuki?" Yukari brought up. "She saw the Dark Hour, Shadows, AND Personas."

"Normal people don't remember anything about the Dark Hour, FYI." Emi said. "Guess part of your brain went to your chest."

"Don't test me, Tsukino…" Yukari glared at Emi while holding her bow.

"At the very least, the Shadows didn't prey on her." Daichi said. "She should be safe now."

"But… won't she forget that Fuuka saved her life?" Yukari asked.

"Actually, I don't think that will matter." Mitsuru said as she motioned everyone to Natsuki crying and apologizing to Fuuka's unconscious body.

It was clear that Natsuki understood her wrongdoings and won't repeat them again.

* * *

_June 9, 2009, Tuesday, Morning_

Seth was trying his best to take notes on the current lecture, but a certain event from the night before has been on his mind all morning.

*Whatever happened to that Hand of Anarchy I met in Tartarus?* He thought. *It's highly unlikely that he got trapped there… But why did he simply let me and Fuuka go?*

* * *

_June 9, 2009, Tuesday, After School_

When classes had finished, Seth and Homura went to the hospital to check up on Fuuka. They were escorted to a hospital room where Fuuka was just lying in her bed.

"How are you doing, Fuuka?" Seth asked.

"I'm feeling much better, thank you." Fuuka nodded. "Still a little tired, though…"

"Hey, you're doing a lot better than Minato." Seth said. "When he woke up to his Persona power, he was out for over a week."

"Heheh, really?" Fuuka giggled. "He seems so strong."

"He is, but not as strong as me."

"Seth, stop trying to act cool." Homura mildly leered at him. "It looks like you're philandering."

He didn't deny that Fuuka was cute, but something about her made him think that she just wasn't his type though he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"Mitsuru and Akihiko were going to come by a little later, but we wanted to check on ya once school was out." Seth said.

"Th-thank you." Fuuka said. "But I really want to know how Moriyama-san is doing."

"She's fine, but I'm surprised you're this concerned for her." Seth said.

"Yeah, I mean, she and her friends didn't deserve to be hunted by the Shadows, but they DID lock you in the gym overnight." Homura said. "They only went back to check on you because they thought they'd get in trouble."

"I know, but…" Fuuka said. "Still… Natsuki felt guilty about what she did and apologized…"

Seth sighed. "There's no getting through to you, is there? Fine, think what you want of her. We may not like her… but we can't choose your friends."

"Thank you for at least understanding." Fuuka said.

"Speaking of choices, Mitsuru's probably going to ask you to join them." Seth said. "I doubt they'd force you into it, but just don't think you're being forced into anything."

"You share the same power I do." Fuuka insisted. "And you all risked your lives for me. If anything, I'm indebted."

"Well, just think it over, okay?" Seth asked.

"You're awfully nice." Fuuka said. "Thank you."

"How many times have you said that already?" Seth jokingly questioned.

"By the way, who was that guy in the cloak we met in that strange place?" Fuuka asked.

Seth knew she was talking about the Hand of Anarchy. "… Good thing you're lying down because this is gonna take a while."

* * *

**A/N:** I'm ending this chapter sooner than anticipated, but only because I'm keeping in the scenes that actually gel together. That and it's been a while since I wrote a chapter for this story. Happy New Year's, my Game of the Year 2015 is _Xenoblade Chronicles X_ and I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Stay tuned for next time! Here are the current Social Links Seth has:

**Heiwa (Fool) – Rank 4**

**Junpei (Magician) – Rank 4**

**Fuuka (Priestess) – Rank 1**

**Mitsuru (Empress) - Rank 2**

**Akihiko (Emperor) – Rank 2**

**Homura (Lovers) – Rank 4**

**Theodore (Hermit) – Rank 2**

**Nobuo (Fortune) – Rank 2**

**Daichi (Strength) – Rank 2**

**Makoto (Death) - Rank 2**

**Hardcore Gamer (Temperance) - Rank 2**

**Emi (Devil) – Rank 1**

**Troubled Woman (Tower) – Rank 1**

**Leliana (Star) - Rank 1**


	14. Chapter 14

**Here's the next chapter! I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

_June 10, 2009, Wednesday, After School_

Seth was walking through the streets of Tatsumi Port Island, on his way back to the dorm, when he saw Tsubaki sitting on a bench and take notice of him.

"Oh, Mr. Carter." She said.

"Tsubaki, glad to see you not in a frenzy." Seth jokingly said.

"Jerk!" She pouted. "And here I was about to thank you."

"Well, glad you realized the consequences if you actually went through with it."

"I… I work at a business firm… Or… used to… They laid me and several others off. And to make matters worse, my house was destroyed in a fire, my boyfriend was cheating on me and my car got impounded."

"No wonder you went loco. All that crap happening would make anyone snap."

"My… my parents allowed me to stay at their place until I get back on my feet. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have seen that small light of hope. Thank you very much."

"Good to see you finally smile. It looks cute on you."

"Please, don't flatter me." She mildly blushed while scoffing. "I've got to be ten years older than you."

"Yeah, wouldn't want people thinking you're a pedophile." Seth chuckled.

"Heheh… Please don't say that out loud… People might actually THINK that if you keep saying it…" She said the last statement with gnashed teeth.

* * *

_June 11, 2009, Thursday, Lunchtime_

The lunch period was almost over and Seth was in the restroom, hoping to avoid Homura from scolding him for not having a proper lunch again, when he suddenly got a text message from Akihiko.

_Fuuka will be let out of the hospital today. We're going to talk to her this evening. She said she wanted you to be there as well. Meet us in the command room later tonight._

*Looks I I've got my plans for tonight.* Seth thought. *… Shit! Lunch's almost over!*

* * *

_June 11, 2009, Thursday, After School_

With some time to kill before his meeting with S.E.E.S. in the evening, Seth decided to tutor Leliana in understanding Japanese better. Once they were done, he started packing up his things until she spoke up.

"By the way, Seth." Leliana said. "I'm curious as to how come an American like you is at Gekkoukan."

Seth needed to think of something that wasn't technically lying, but not tell her the whole truth. If he lied to her, he would feel guilty about it and think that it was unbecoming of a role model to his younger brother.

"Parents here on business, too?" She guessed.

"… My parents are in the U.S. Army."

"Huh?"

"That's all there is to it."

Grrrrrrr…

Both of their stomachs were growling like dying animals.

"How about we continue this conversation at Wild Duck Burger?" She suggested.

"Agreed."

* * *

After ordering their food at Wild Duck Burger, Leliana took a big bite of her cheeseburger.

"Nothing like some good old-fashioned American food!" She signed in content. "I'm still not used to that takoyaki and all those other Japanese dishes."

"I'm already used to it." Seth said. "Considering I've been here for the last few years."

"You said your parents were in the Army. No relatives to take care of you?"

"There's our grandfather… But I'm more or less here for a foreign exchange program."

"Thankfully I'm only here for a year. After that, it's back to home sweet home. Back to regular food, regular bath, showers, all of it. Oh, and I won't have to take the train again! It's so packed in there I think someone tried to grope me on several occasions."

"Sounds like you're having a rough time here."

"But enough about that. Our food's getting cold."

* * *

_June 11, 2009, Thursday, Evening_

In the command room at the S.E.E.S. dorm, Seth was leaning against a wall while everyone else was sitting down since all of the seats were taken.

"Fuuka Yamasgishi, I presume?" Ikutsuki asked her.

"Y-yes." Fuuka answered as she stood up.

"Why are you so nervous, Fuuka?" Seth asked. "We're all friends here."

Fuuka's body relaxed after Seth's assurance and sat back down.

"Anyway, both of your groups did an excellent job of uncovering the truth of the Gekkoukan ghost." Ikutsuki continued.

*How long did it take him to come up with that?* Seth winced from the lame name.

"In other news, the three girls who were found unconscious at the school gates have woken up." Ikutsuki stated.

Fuuka breathed a sigh of relief.

"I knew it was all just a stupid rumor." Yukari said.

"Then why were ya scared, huh Yuka-tan?" Junpei playfully nudged her arm.

Yukari punched Junpei in the arm.

"It's all my fault…" Fuuka muttered.

"No, Fuuka." Seth said. "You, and eventually those girls, were victims. The only thing those girls are to blame for is you getting locked up in the gym. They had no idea you'd get lost in Tartarus."

"But… I made everyone worry…" Fuuka said.

"Hey, don't think like that." Yukari tried to comfort her.

Mitsuru stood up and walked up to Fuuka. "Some of us wouldn't be here were it not for your assistance. At the very least, you should feel good about that. Like us, you have special powers that can help others."

"You mean… what we all did the other night?" Fuuka inquired.

"We call it 'Persona'." Mitsuru clarified. "You would be a tremendous help in our fight. Will you join us?"

"Mitsuru-senpai…" Fuuka mumbled before being lost in thought for a moment.

*Remember what I said, Fuuka.* Seth thought. *Don't feel like you have no choice.*

Fuuka stood up resolutely. "I'll do it! I'll help!"

"A-are you sure?!" Yukari questioned. "If you join us, you'll have to live here."

"That's fine." Fuuka replied. "I'd rather live here than at the dorm anyway…"

That last comment made Seth really curious.

"We appreciate it." Mitsuru said. "In a few days we'll have the issues with your living arrangements discussed with your parents and resolved."

"Thank you." Fuuka said. "By the way, Mitsuru-senpai, what did Ikutsuki-san mean by 'both of your groups'?"

"We're actually two different groups with the same goal." Mitsuru answered. "I lead everyone here, except for Seth, to make up S.E.E.S. Seth leads the other group, called Heiwa."

"We alternate nights when exploring that tower we were in the other night." Seth said. "In special cases, we join forces."

"Mitsuru-senpai, if I were to join, would that mean I won't be able to help Seth-kun?" Fuuka asked.

"Hm?" Mitsuru was a little surprised by her question. "I hadn't taken that into consideration…"

"Do you want to help us, too, Fuuka?" Seth asked.

Fuuka turned around to Seth and nodded.

"… Mitsuru, do you think it's possible for Fuuka to help both teams on their excursions?" Seth asked. "If she's simply support, she shouldn't get nearly as tired as the rest of us. There'd be little to no hazard to her health."

"That would work well." Mitsuru replied. "You think quickly, Mr. Carter."

*I told you to call me 'Seth', but no point in arguing, is there?* He thought.

"Now onto the topic of the special Shadows." Ikutsuki interrupted. "We still don't know where they came from, but at the very least we know their appearances coincide with the full moon."

"So they're like werewolves?" Junpei asked.

"Now we know when to expect them." Akihiko stood up. "Gives us time to train up and prepare for the next one."

* * *

_June 12, 2009, Friday, After School_

The whole day, Seth was concerned about how Fuuka was doing on her first day of school since winding up in Tartarus. Just as he got up from his desk, he got a text message from Kaito.

_Meet me in front of the fountain at Paulownia Mall. I need to talk to you._

* * *

As soon as Seth entered Paulownia Mall, he saw Kaito standing in front of the fountain at the center of the mall and walked over to him.

"There you are." Kaito said.

"What did you want t-" Seth was about to say until Kaito placed his hand over his mouth.

"Shh…" Kaito hushed and whispered. "Keep your voice down."

"What's this about?" Seth asked while whispering.

"I wasn't sure of it until now, but it's become more apparent over the last few weeks. Someone's been spying on me whenever I'm not in school or at my dorm."

"Want me to take care of them?"

"If you find them, yes, please. There's a tournament coming up. Perhaps they're trying to analyze my tech game and formulate a plan around it."

"That's not very honorable. And what makes you think I'm not the spy? I'm practically your sparring partner."

"Your name's not on the current roster, the spy is keeping themselves in the shadows and I trust you."

"You trust me?"

"I trust you more than anyone with this." After that, Kaito resumed speaking in a normal tone. "Anyway, do want to have some snacks in the food court?"

"Sure." Seth nodded and also spoke in his regular voice.

After they got to the food court, Kaito had to use the restroom so Seth waited in line to order. It was at that moment he saw a girl with long dark hair and wearing a Gekkoukan uniform running out of the food court in a hurry.

*Could that… be the spy?* Seth thought. *It'd make a bit of sense. No one would suspect a girl to know anything about video games, damn stereotyping… Now that I know what she looks like, I'll confront her next time I see her.*

* * *

_June 13, 2009, Saturday, Early Morning_

Seth was walking toward campus looking incredibly tired.

"That homework took a hell of a lot longer than I thought…" He yawned and mumbled to himself. "Did the teacher HAVE to make it so damn long and due within a day?"

In an instant, he noticed a familiar set of dark locks passing by him. Before he could properly observe, it was as if she had blended into the crowd like a chameleon.

*She's pretty damn good at hiding, that's for sure.* He thought.

* * *

_June 13, 2009, Saturday, After School_

If the girl was going to Paulownia Mall where Kaito would be, Seth knew he had to wait near the entrance and act casual until she showed up. To do so, he simply pretended to read one of his textbooks on the bench near the fountain. As soon as she entered and was about to walk past Seth, he quickly grabbed her arm and stopped her.

"C-could you let me go, please?" She asked.

"You've been following around a certain someone I know." Seth said. "Leave him alone before I call the cops on you."

"P-please don't!" She panicked. "I'm not doing anything wrong!"

"Except for cheating!"

"What?!"

"I know you're spying on my friend to give your clients an edge in the upcoming tournaments!"

"I would never do that to Kaito-kun!"

"So you admit to spying on him?"

"O-okay, yes. I was watching him from a distance, but I'd never wish for him to fail in something he loves!"

He still didn't believe her and wasn't sure how to get a genuine confession out of her. However, whatever he had to do, it had to be quiet since some people were starting to stare and wonder if they should call the police on him.

"So why were you stalking him?"

She seemed incredibly hesitant to answer.

"Answer to me or the police."

"I… I like him okay?"

"… Eh?"

"You know those girls in manga who always sneak around the guys they like?"

"So… you're not a spy plotting against Kaito… You're just a yandere?" He said before thinking to himself. *I'm not sure whether this is unexpected or painfully predictable…*

"… Are you still taking me to the police?"

"Did you break into Kaito's house?"

"No."

"Have you killed anyone?"

"Oh God, no."

"Then you're free. Word of advice: You might not want to stalk Kaito while he's in the arcade. He's gotten pretty suspicious and asked me to handle it."

"I… guess it's my own fault… Karma was just getting back at me for skulking around someone's private business like that."

"Why don't you actually talk to him?"

"Wha?!"

"You won't get anywhere in a relationship keeping quiet. Try to become his friend first."

"Er, that's… kind of difficult…"

"Why?"

"Well, I'm… kinda shy… No, REALLY shy. You're the longest conversation I've had with a…"

"… With a boy?"

She sucked in and bit on her lips while nodding profusely.

"Would you like to overcome your shyness?"

She nodded harder and faster than before.

"I'm Seth. Can you at least tell me your name?"

She still couldn't speak to him. Despite groaning in his head, Seth took out a pencil and a piece of paper and handed it to her.

"Wait, how come you had no problem talking to me a moment ago?"

Her only response at the moment was lifting up a finger to signal that she would be a minute, handing him the paper when she was done.

"'My name **Hotaru Katsuki** (Age 16) and I was so scared of getting molested that I completely forgot about my shyness.' A bit too convenient, but whatever. Next time we meet let's try to get over that problem."

* * *

_June 14, 2009, Sunday, Daytime_

With nothing better to do today, Seth just decided to walk around town aimlessly until something came to him. It was incredibly boring, especially since practically everyone was off doing their own things. However, a possible candidate came to his mind and he went to the cemetery to see Makoto just sitting on a bench near his father's grave.

"Nothing better to do?" Seth asked as he approached Makoto.

"Heh, that's supposed to be my question." Makoto replied. "At least you have a social life."

"Ugh…" Seth groaned. "Time for the clichéd 'what do you mean'…"

"My father never allowed me to interact with other children. I was always encouraged to study and live up to his expectations. Though make no mistake, he cared for me very much. He only did it so I would know how to handle myself in the future."

"So you had no friends growing up?"

"Not even acquaintances or siblings."

"Wow, you REALLY lack social skills."

"What about you? You seem like you have many friends."

"I do. And a kid brother, only two years younger than me, but the way he acts make him seem ten. Though I'm joking about him now, he really means everything to me."

"Has anyone ever told you how lucky you are?"

"I really am, aren't I?"

"I'm jealous, actually…"

"Not for much longer, I hope. How about you start with me?"

"Hm?"

"I can be your first friend."

"Tch… Hehahahaha! Never thought I'd have the day! Or are you just taking pity on me?"

"Can't I have more than one reason?"

"So you DO pity me…"

"More than that, you already became my friend when we first met. Pity had nothing to do with it… at least at that time."

"Heh… You REALLY are strange… At least to me…"

Seth and Makoto spent the rest of the day talking about various topics.

* * *

_June 14, 2009, Sunday, Evening_

While working on his homework in his dorm room, Seth's phone started going off and he answered it.

"Hello?"

"_Hello, Mr. Seth Carter."_ Theo's voice spoke through the phone. _"I am calling to inform you of another change in Tartarus."_

"The second barrier's been lifted? That's great! My friends and I can resume our excursions tomorrow!"

"_Why not tonight?"_

"After taking on those Full Moon Shadows, I prefer my team to take a break for at least a week. We all deserve it considering how taxing of a fight it was."

"_I understand."_

"Thanks for calling. Otherwise, we wouldn't know about it… except maybe from S.E.E.S."

When their call ended, Seth resumed his homework, but didn't write down anything for a few seconds.

"… Dammit! Lost my concentration!"

He looked over it all again for a few seconds.

"It's no use… I almost had it, too…"

* * *

**A/N:** This chapter's taken me long enough to write, so I'm just going to end it here. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed! Stay tuned for next time! Here are the current Social Link ranks:

**Heiwa (Fool) – Rank 4**

**Junpei (Magician) – Rank 4**

**Fuuka (Priestess) – Rank 1**

**Mitsuru (Empress) - Rank 2**

**Akihiko (Emperor) – Rank 2**

**Homura (Lovers) – Rank 4**

**Theodore (Hermit) – Rank 2**

**Nobuo (Fortune) – Rank 2**

**Daichi (Strength) – Rank 2**

**Makoto (Death) - Rank 3**

**Hardcore Gamer (Temperance) - Rank 3**

**Emi (Devil) – Rank 2**

**Troubled Woman (Tower) – Rank 2**

**Leliana (Star) - Rank 2**

**Shy Stalker (Sun) – Rank 1**


	15. Chapter 15

**Sorry for the long wait! I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

_June 15, 2009, Monday, After School_

Seth and Nobuo went to the comic book store to check out the latest manga and imported comics that came in stock.

"… Why do you always scrunch your face in here?" Nobuo asked.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"I saw your face twitch…" Nobuo leaned closer to Seth so his mouth was by his ear and whispered. "It's the smell, isn't it?"

Seth nodded. "By the way, what got you interested in comic books to begin with?"

"My family and I once went on vacation to New York City and we stopped at a comic book store. Seeing those costumed heroes standing up for justice and protecting the innocent… I wanted to be just like them. It must sound silly, right?"

"Actually, a lot of children in my home country feel the exact same way. But to be honest, I always superheroes were lame until I had that falling out with the bullies. I gave one of Luke's comics a read and became interested in the stories. If Luke was the catalyst for finally standing up for what's right, comic book heroes helped inspire me further."

"And they call superheroes kids' stuff! Anything that can change a person's way of thinking for the better must be a good thing."

"Speaking of doing good, we should head to Tartarus tonight. I think we've had a long enough break."

"Yeah-" Nobuo stopped speaking as he just stared past Seth.

"What's wrong?" Seth asked.

Nobuo ran outside and Seth turned around to notice there was a cat stuck in a tree outside the store. Seth followed Nobuo to the tree and the two looked up.

"Seth, would you mind giving me a boost?" Nobuo requested.

"Cats climb trees all the time." Seth said. "Plus, what if it bites you?"

"Please just do it."

Seth lowered his hands, put them together and Nobuo stepped on them as Seth lifted him up high enough to grab the cat out of the tree.

"Got it!"

Nobuo got back down on the ground and held the cat between his arms.

"Sorry, Seth, but I'll meet you back at the dorm." Nobuo said. "I should take this cat back to its owner."

"Maybe it was let out to get some fresh air and exercise." Seth said. "It's not uncommon."

"What if a truck hit it on its way back home? It doesn't befit a man of justice to leave an animal to fend for itself, no matter how independent it is."

"Just leave it in the yard. The owners might not think highly of you for obsessing over their cat's safety."

"I guess that'd be okay. Thanks."

Nobuo walked off with the cat and Seth headed back to the dorm.

* * *

_June 16, 2009, Tuesday, After School_

As soon as Seth left the classroom, Fuuka came up to him.

"Carter-san, could I ask a favor of you?" She asked.

"Depends what it is." Seth answered.

"Can you… can you take me back to your dorm, please?"

"My charms have already driven you wild, eh?" Seth pompously smirked.

"Not even close."

"Hurtful… I was only kidding."

"I just want to learn how to cook."

"That's all? No problem."

"Thank you so much."

* * *

The two of them went back to Seth's dorm and into the kitchen where they put on aprons.

"Ready to learn the intricacies of the culinary arts, Fuuka?" Seth asked.

"Mm-hm." Fuuka nodded.

"So what exactly are your problem areas?"

"Well… everything."

"Then we should start with the most basic of recipes. Perhaps an omelette."

* * *

One hour later, there was a frying pan with an ashen pile in the center and Seth was panting while carrying a fire extinguisher.

"… How the hell do you burn your food when the temperature was exactly what it said in the book?!" Seth exclaimed in shock.

"I'm sorry!" Fuuka sobbed.

"No!" Seth panicked and tried to calm her down. "I'm not mad! Just baffled."

"Whenever I try to cook, something always goes wrong…"

*She's a freakin' kitchen jinx!* Seth thought before speaking. "Hey, it's still too early to call it quits. I'll help you however I can until you get it right."

"T-thank you, Carter-san."

"Please, call me Seth."

"Alright, Seth-san."

He shrugged off the honorific and continued to help Fuuka with her cooking, even though they made little to no progress at the end of the day.

* * *

_June 17, 2009, Wednesday, After School_

Seth and Daichi were at Paulownia Mall's electronics store, the latter practically drooling at the sight of a new line of cameras on display.

"Is there a sticker of a hot girl on that camera or what?" Seth asked somewhat jokingly.

"There are only two things I love in this world: Technology and women." Daichi stated.

"Well, any women here will think you're brain-dead if your mouth remains a waterfall."

Daichi quickly wiped off the saliva around his mouth and chin with the sleeve of his shirt and resumed examining each of the new cameras.

"… You're not thinking of anything scanalous, are you?" Seth asked.

"Who? Me?" Daichi asked while pointing at himself.

Seth looked at him like he was spouting a load of bull crap from his windpipe.

"Seriously, Seth! Have more faith in me! I'd never sully my love of technology by using it for voyeurism… Except watching porn on the Internet."

"Knew there'd be exceptions." Seth said before thinking to himself. *If there're any others, I don't know.*

"I should be thanking you for some of this technology stuff, Seth." Daichi said as he picked up one of the new cameras. "It's your leadership through Tartarus and the treasures we find there that I can purchase any of this stuff. I've actually been saving up for these since our first excursion."

Seth saw a genuine smile on Daichi's face, a clear sign of the gratitude he had just expressed.

"Hey, it's your money." Seth said. "You do what you want with it… But we're not paying for your meals."

"Ha ha." Daichi laughed sarcastically.

Daichi went to the counter and paid the clerk before leaving the store with Seth. They made small talk until they came back to their dorm for the night.

* * *

_June 18, 2009, Thursday, After School_

After another meeting in the Student Council, Seth stayed behind to clean things up before heading back to the dorm.

"You're quite dedicated, Mr. Carter." Mitsuru said as she approached him. "I apologize for leaving you with more grunt work."

"No problem at all, Mitsuru." Seth said as he put up the last of the chairs. "I'm somewhat glad those girls picking on Fuuka learned their lesson. It's at least one group of bullies out of the way."

"Remember what you once told me?" Mitsuru asked. "About how you've always hated bullies? That's not entirely true, is it?"

"… Who told you? Or did you dig around my personal history?"

"The latter. My father granted me access to Heiwa's records, though my intentions were to understand your mindset."

"… It's true. I used to be in a group of bullies, but it wasn't until they started picking on my little brother, Luke, that I realized what I've been doing all that time. It's a past I'm not proud of, but it keeps me from doing it again."

"You really love your brother, don't you?"

Seth nodded. "He's the reason I fight. I want him to live in a world without worry. To keep him safe."

"Actually, I'm not so different from you."

"How so?"

"My father… I fight for him."

"Aw, you're a daddy's girl."

"Please don't call me that." Mitsuru was clearly irritated and a bit embarrassed hearing that.

"I'm only teasing. I didn't realize the two of us had this much in common. Perhaps next time, we can have a proper chat."

"Hmph, we'll see." Mitsuru lightly chuckled.

* * *

_June 19, 2009, Friday, After School_

As soon as classes were over, Junpei invited Seth to eat at Hagakure.

"So, it's been a while since you came here, Seth." Junpei said. "Gotten used to it yet?"

"Absolutely." Seth answered. "I'm pretty quick to adjust. Wish I could say the same for my brother."

"Glad to hear it. I think others have gotten used to you here, too."

"I HAVE made quite the number of friends."

"Actually, you might want to look at these."

Junpei rummaged through his pockets and handed Seth a series of photographs. The first one was of Seth in his dorm room without his shirt on and the second was of him doing pushups in the same place, once again shirtless.

"… I didn't think you swung both ways, Junpei." Seth said. "Though seriously, this is really fucking creepy. Whoever took these is going to get a pretty unpleasant visit from the cops!"

"Dunno." Junpei shrugged. "Some girl I bumped into dropped 'em. She panicked by saying she didn't take the photos and that she bought 'em off someone. I just thought you should know about this."

"Thanks, Junpei."

"Though I gotta admit, it's kinda your fault for leaving your blinds open when you're showing off like that... And I wish someone took some photos of me…" Junpei muttered the last part.

* * *

_June 20, 2009, Saturday, After School_

Seth and Minato were headed back to the latter's dorm after hanging out earlier. Once they arrived, they saw Fuuka kneeling down in front of a white dog.

"Koro-chan, give me your paw." Fuuka said to the dog.

Fuuka held out her hand and the dog its paw. She held it and petted the dog on the head.

"Oh, good dog." Yukari said before noticing the two young men who had just come by. "Oh, you're back, Minato-kun."

"Hi." Fuuka greeted them.

"I didn't know you guys had a dog." Seth said. "Hell, I didn't even know you could have pets in the dorms."

"We don't." Minato stated.

"His name's Koromaru." Fuuka stated. "I've seen him sitting by the shrine's steps."

Another dog approached and started barking at Koromaru. With the dog came a woman carrying a bag of groceries.

"Oh… This dog still goes on walks all by himself?" The woman asked.

"Whaddya mean?" Yukari inquired.

"He used to belong to the priest of Naganaki Shrine." The woman answered. "The two of them would walk by here every afternoon."

"Well, his owner must be worried sick." Seth said.

"Sadly, the priest passed away." The woman said.

"He passed away?" Fuuka questioned out of uncertainty.

"Haven't you heard the story?" The woman asked. "Six months ago, the priest was hit by a car while walking his dog."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Koromaru." Seth knelt down to Koromaru and petted his head.

"Ever since, that dog sits patiently by the site of the accident." The woman continued. "And he walks himself every day on the same route, just as his owner used to. Oh shoot! I need to get going! My son will be home soon."

The woman and dog walked off, leaving the four high school students with Koromaru.

"Aww, you're such a loyal dog!" Yukari said to Koromaru. "Good boy!"

"Thank you." Seth said.

"She wasn-" Minato was about to say.

"I know." Seth interrupted him.

Fuuka then slightly jolted as if she had a light spasm. "Huh?"

The other three looked at her as Koromaru walked off.

"Something wrong, Fuuka?" Minato asked.

"Oh, sorry. It's nothing." Fuuka replied. "Wait, the Chairman's coming today. We should go get ready."

"Then I'll take my leave here." Seth said. "See ya tomorrow!"

As Seth walked off, he was a little curious about Fuuka's strange reaction. However, it would have to wait for now since they had an important meeting to attend to.

* * *

_June 20, 2009, Saturday, Evening_

Seth was in his room, relaxing and reading a manga since it wasn't a school night, when there was a knock on his door.

"Seth, are you decent?" Homura asked from the hallway.

"Yes." Seth answered loudly.

Homura opened the door and entered. "Seth, I picked up a pattern on those large Shadows! You know those cards used in fortune telling? Tarot cards?"

"I'm somewhat familiar with them."

"Well, all Shadows, and even our Personae, are categorized by a type of Arcana. The order starts with the Magician, then the Priestess, and most recently the Empress and Emperor."

"You know what the next one is?"

"Definitely the Hierophant. Whether or not we'll be fighting more than one the next full moon, I don't know."

"Wait, you said that Personas are placed in similar classes, right? Is there… any sort of connection between Personas and Shadows?"

Homura sat down on Seth's bed. "Heiwa has been researching Personae and Shadows for years now. While much still eludes us, there have been some significant discoveries. Shadows are malevolent inner thoughts made manifest. A Persona is the exact same thing, only those thoughts have been tamed by the ego."

"That must be why whenever I defeat Shadows, I obtain new Personas."

Homura nodded. "Very likely. Anyway, do you want to hang out tomorrow? Just the two of us?"

"Sure."

"Great! See you in the morning!" Homura said before leaving Seth's room.

Just as Homura left, Seth realized to check his window and saw that his blinds were open. He looked around out his window, seeing no one around or at least not visible, and closed the window as well as the blinds.

* * *

_June 22, 2009, Monday, After School_

All day it was hard for Seth to keep himself awake during class. Due to Heiwa's Tartarus expedition the previous night, he was feeling rather exhausted. As soon as the last lecture was over, he dropped his head onto his desk and closed his eyes.

*… Maybe just for an hour…* He thought.

His consciousness practically drifted off in seconds despite his head lying on a cold, hard surface.

* * *

"Seth?"

"I'M READY, COACH!" Seth shouted at the top of his lungs as he shot awake.

Seth panicked and looked around, noticing that Homura was somewhat startled by his sudden outburst.

"Damn, how long was I out?" Seth asked.

"Only an hour." Homura answered.

"That's not so bad, though considering all the shit I do every day I wish I wouldn't get so exhausted. Perhaps someone could put my brain in a robot and I can just live my life doing stuff without getting tired."

"… Weird way of putting it. Anyway, would you mind if we went back to the dorm together today?"

"Something wrong? Or just a friendly stroll?"

"Um, how do I put this? Ever since earlier today, I feel like someone's been watching me."

"Maybe it's just Emi being jealous."

"Why would Emi be jealous?"

"… Let's just hope it's not one of the Hands of Anarchy."

"That's the worst case scenario I had in mind. Have you felt anything like that?"

"Other than Emi, nothing."

"If Daichi and the others are experiencing the same feeling, then we can presume it's the Hands of Anarchy." Homura then pulled out her phone and started texting.

*Could this be the same person that's been taking photos of me in my room?* He thought. *Although, the Hands of Anarchy prefer to remain in secrecy and hide in plain sight. Handing out those photos around the school would be a detriment to their reconnaissance, even with the slight chance I would notice. I doubt my voyeur and Homura's spy are the same person, but if her spy IS with the Hands… We'd have to snuff them out as soon as possible!*

Homura put her phone away. "I just got texts back from everyone. None of them felt like they were being spied on."

"Even if it's just you, we should still keep our guard up. I'll escort you back to the dorm."

"Thanks a lot, Seth. I already feel much safer with you around."

Homura had a huge smile on her face and Seth couldn't help but notice how adorable it she looked with it. When they got to the shoe lockers and Homura opened up her locker, there was a bag of candy sitting on top of her shoes.

"Hey, someone gave me some candy!" Homura said as she took a couple pieces out and munched on them.

"Who's it from?" Seth asked.

"Don't know. Whoever it was left no hints. There a bag in yours, Seth?"

"Nope. Maybe you have a secret admirer."

"D…" Homura blushed very suddenly. "Did you leave me these chocolates?"

"Sorry, wasn't me." *Though now I wish I did.*

"Why would I have a secret admirer?"

*… Really?* Seth thought before speaking. "Well, you're nice, smart and cute. Isn't that enough?"

"You… you really think I'm cute?!" Homura exclaimed as her blush became more prominent.

"D-don't take that the wrong way!" Seth stammered and blushed. "I mean, I call kittens, puppies and babies cute. How come whenever someone calls an adult cute, they assume they like them?"

"So I'm cute in the same way as a kitten?" Homura asked with a raised eyebrow and a serious look on her face.

"Exactly!"

…

SLAP!

"Jerk!" Homura shouted, turned around and walked away pouting.

"What'd I say?!" Seth questioned as he followed her. "It was a compliment!"

* * *

_June 22, 2009, Monday, Evening_

"Heheh, you really pissed off Hottie Homura, huh?" Daichi chuckled.

Seth and Daichi were sitting in the dorm's lobby, the former holding an ice bag over his reddened cheek.

"I didn't think she'd've hit me so hard. Hopefully in time, she'll let it go."

"I dunno, man. Women can hold grudges a looooong time. I know a lotta guys have a grudge on ya."

"Why?"

"'WHY'?! Because you're closer to Hottie Homura than anyone else on campus! They're all jealous of you! Any guys give you the stinkeye?"

_(Flashback)_

_As Seth was walking down the hallways of Gekkoukan, he glanced at a couple of guys and saw they were leering at him._

_(End Flashback)_

"… In retrospect, there have been hints…" Seth said.

* * *

**A/N:** I have an announcement to make! I will be discontinuing my _Remnants of Peace_ story in a few days, but this story will still be running. I just need to rethink several things. I got a lot of Social Links updated this chapter! Here are their statuses! Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed! Stay tuned for next time!

**Heiwa (Fool) – Rank 4**

**Junpei (Magician) – Rank 5**

**Fuuka (Priestess) – Rank 2**

**Mitsuru (Empress) - Rank 3**

**Akihiko (Emperor) – Rank 2**

**Homura (Lovers) – Rank 5**

**Theodore (Hermit) – Rank 2**

**Nobuo (Fortune) – Rank 3**

**Daichi (Strength) – Rank 3**

**Makoto (Death) - Rank 3**

**Hardcore Gamer (Temperance) - Rank 3**

**Emi (Devil) – Rank 2**

**Troubled Woman (Tower) – Rank 2**

**Leliana (Star) - Rank 2**

**Shy Stalker (Sun) – Rank 1**


	16. Chapter 16

**Here's the latest chapter! I might be slowing down over the next few months due to finishing college and job searching. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

_June 23, 2009, Tuesday, After School_

At Paulownia Mall, Seth had met up with Hotaru in front of the fountain to help her overcome her pathological shyness.

"Are you ready for today's speech therapy?" Seth asked.

Hotaru nodded with her mouth shut.

"Let's start with single-word sentences." Seth said. "Try saying 'hello' first."

She tried to speak up, but no noise came out every time she opened her mouth. This went on for a few hours and every few minutes Seth kept checking the time on his phone. It was taking so long that Seth had managed to complete all of his homework for the day and she still hadn't uttered a peep. Eventually, he looked toward the mall's entrance to see that the lighting outside was already changing color.

"It's getting late." Seth said. "We should head back to our dorms."

As Seth stood up, Hotaru looked like she was about to cry and had an apologetic expression on her face.

"Easy, it's not going to take a day for you to finally talk to me." Seth said with a smile. "I'll help you out as much as I can until you're finally able to speak to a guy. You want to confess your feelings to Kaito, don't you?"

Hotaru still looked like she was going to cry, but this time she had a giant smile. Seth held out his hand to her.

"At least give me a goodbye handshake." Seth said.

Hotaru slowly reached out to Seth's hand and eventually grabbed it. He shook it firmly, but gently and let go.

"There we go." Seth said. "Have a good night."

* * *

_June 24, 2009, Wednesday, After School_

Seth and Akihiko went to boxing practice and were having a friendly sparring match. The two kept throwing and blocking blows, though Akihiko was more of the aggressor compared to Seth since he kept blocking every blow he tried to deliver. They finally stopped when they heard a whistle blowing.

"Carter-kun! Sanada-kun! That's enough!" One of the other members shouted. "Take a break!"

"We can keep going, can't we, Akihiko?" Seth looked over at his boxing partner.

"I don't have any problems." Akihiko replied.

"Other people would like a chance to practice." The member said.

"Guess we got caught up in the fight, didn't we?" Seth chuckled.

Both Seth and Akihiko went over to their seats, the former guzzling down a bottle of water while the latter chugged down a protein shake.

"Shouldn't you be drinking pure water, instead?" Seth questioned.

"Protein is good for your muscles." Akihiko stated. "I get hydrated AND a boost to my strength."

"Whatever…" Seth said.

"Ya know, you're the only other person in the club who's been able to keep up with me."

"Well, I DO work out at the dorm every night."

"Perhaps it's because we're the only ones with a drive."

"You don't know that for sure. Some of these other guys might have drives, we just don't know anything about 'em."

"Heh, you may be right."

"By the way, where did you go after class yesterday? I tried to come to practice, but when I noticed you weren't here I just went off and hung out with someone else."

"I was just meeting a friend of mine at Hagakure."

"More important than me?" Seth jokingly asked.

"Actually, we've known each other since we were kids."

"… Me or-?"

"Him."

"Okay."

"When Mitsuru and I formed S.E.E.S., he was also on our team. Something terrible happened and he left."

"So he's a Persona-user, too?"

"Yeah."

"I won't ask what happened."

"Thanks… Why can't you just let go of the past, Shinji?"

Seth almost coughed out his water upon hearing the name.

"Go down the wrong pipe?" Akihiko asked.

"Is this 'Shinji' short for 'Shinjiro'?"

"Yeah?"

"Is he a big, scary-looking guy in a trench coat?"

"How do you know, Shinji?"

"That's my line! But if you must know, Emi and I went to the bad side of town and he answered some of our questions about those girls picking on Fuuka."

"Like I said, Shinji and I grew up in the same orphanage."

"You're an orphan?!"

Beep-beep-beep!

Seth pulled out his cell phone and saw the time. "Crap, I have to get going! Tell me another time, okay?"

"If you manage to beat me." Akihiko smirked.

Seth and Akihiko tapped their knuckles against each other before the former left.

* * *

_June 25, 2009, Thursday, After School_

Seth was passing by the Iwatodai strip mall when he saw a familiar woman leaving the bookstore.

"Tsubaki?" Seth spoke up to the woman.

Tsubaki looked toward Seth and walked over to him. "Oh, hello, Mr. Carter."

"Mr. Carter is my father, just call me Seth… Old American joke."

"Well, Seth, what brings you here?"

"Just passing by on my way back to the dorm. You?"

"Just getting some books on interviewing, resume writing, stuff I'll need to get a new job."

"That's the spirit. I'm sure whatever place hires you will be very lucky."

"Oh, please stop." Tsubaki laughed. "You're going to make me blush."

"Yeaah, that's probably for the best. I AM still a high schooler."

"I've got a lot of work ahead of me, but I need to push through it. You gave me a second chance in life and I won't let it go to waste."

"Wow, you've come a long way in a single month."

"As I've already told you, it's all thanks to you. You helped put me back on the right track."

"Well, you should get started on the job searching. From what I've heard, it's gotten a lot more complicated and exhausting as technology evolved."

"Yeah… I'm not exactly looking forward to that." Tsubaki sighed tiredly.

* * *

_June 26, 2009, Friday, After School_

Seth was getting his regular shoes out of his locker and as soon as he closed it, out of nowhere appeared Emi.

"Bah!" Seth exclaimed upon seeing the young Goth. "Emi, don't sneak up on people like that!"

"Whatever."

"… By the way… are you the one who's been taking photos of me working out in my room and selling them around school?"

"Please! If I was taking secret photographs of you, I'd keep them to myself… Just like the real thing…"

"… Okaaaaay… Is there something you want to tell me? You wouldn't come up to me if you didn't."

"I just need help with some homework."

"… That it?"

"That's it."

* * *

Seth and Emi went back to the dorm, with the young man standing still with his right arm raised and the back of his hand facing her while she was painting something on a canvas set up on an easel.

"I didn't take you for an artistic type, Emi." Seth said.

"Stay COMPLETELY still." Emi said. "Which includes your mouth."

*I wonder what she's painting?* Seth thought. *Knowing her, it's either me as a nudist or something absolutely horrific and disturbing. I know I shouldn't judge until I see it, but… Why does this feel creepy?*

After an hour had passed, Emi wiped the nonexistent sweat on her forehead.

"It is done." She said.

"May I see it?" Seth asked.

"If you want…" Emi replied with a groan.

Seth walked over to the canvas and stopped when he got a clear view of what was painted. The portrait was a demonic, humanoid being in the same pose he was in, only with vibrant red skin, eyebrows on fire, a somewhat muscular build and black, hardened scales over his arms, around his neck and covering every inch of flesh below his waist. However, the hair was more unruly, barbed horns protruding from his forehead, skeletal wings on his back, and a draconic tail. The art was very stylized, but at the same time all the details could be made out clearly. Speaking of the detail, there was a great attention to it as each part of the body looked like it felt with its respective texture and every facet of the design just popped.

"Wow, Emi!" Seth exclaimed with a smile. "Your skills with a brush could revive 2D animation in America… Okay, that's hyperbole, but it's still really good. Are you in the art club?"

"Why would I waste my talents with those who would filter my work?" Emi questioned.

"Come o-"

"They tried recruiting me once and when I showed them one of my paintings, they immediately said I should restrain my creativity, along with my soul."

"… Well… that sucks… Anyway, what's that supposed to be?" Seth looked over the painting.

"My ideal version of you."

"…" Seth remained silent and immobile upon hearing that.

"Since it's my homework, I had to censor the lower extremities and change the face. Don't worry, I plan to make an… uncensored version."

Seth had no idea how to respond to Emi's comments. Emi picked up the painting and made her way to the staircase.

"Thanks for the help… Sexy…"

When Emi left, Seth finally knew what to say.

"… I'm not sure if I should feel uncomfortable, aroused… or tell her how generic that nickname she just gave me is…"

* * *

_June 27, 2009, Saturday, After School_

Once again, Seth was walking past the cemetery just as Makoto was leaving.

"So you DO leave the cemetery!" Seth joked.

"Real funny." Makoto sarcastically responded. "I have a job and a life outside of mourning my father, you know?"

"Yeah, but every time we meet, it's here. So what's your job?"

"My father and I worked with the same company. You could call it a family business."

"Thanks for bringing that up, but what do you do specifically?"

"We're blacksmiths. Well, mostly props purchased by cosplayers and collectors. Not exactly legal to sell bladed weapons to any average person. Although, we dull the blades so our clientele don't hurt themselves."

*Maybe Makoto and his grandfather can help improve our weapons…* Seth thought. *On second thought, pretty much everyone would find it suspicious if I were carrying weapons all the time for upgrading. And that would also attract the attention of the Hands of Anarchy. I really don't want to get lectured again.*

Seth was worried that he was stuck in his head long enough for Makoto to question, but luckily he was reading a text on his cell phone.

"Sorry, I had to take this." Makoto said.

"No problem." Seth said.

"By the way, have you heard about the couples that went to Shirakawa Boulevard lately?" Makoto asked.

"I think my dorm mates mentioned Shirakawa. Isn't that a pretty seedy area?"

"Well, any pair that enters one of the love hotels comes back with Apathy Syndrome. It seems like there's a constant rise in them every month or so."

"Heh, must be a coincidence." Seth feigned ignorance.

"Though it's just a rumor."

*I have a feeling that's where the next big Shadow's going to show up.* Seth thought before speaking. "Yeah, maybe it's true, but perhaps not."

"Well, I should get going and help my grandfather. I'd rather not keep him waiting long."

"I'll see ya another time then!" Seth waved goodbye to Makoto as he walked back to the dorm.

* * *

As the sun was setting and Seth was heading back to his dorm, he came across Minato who looked bloated and sickly.

"Dude, are you feeling well?" Seth asked.

"I don't want to talk about it…" Minato groaned as he continued walking.

Seth stared at Minato and wondered what the hell happened earlier to put him in that state.

* * *

_June 27, 2009, Saturday, Nighttime_

As soon as Seth was getting out of the shower, his phone went off and he answered it.

"Hello?" Seth asked.

"_Mr. Carter?"_ Theodore's voice responded.

"Theo! What do ya need?"

"_If you're not doing anything, I would like you to take me to see this 'Iwatodai Station' sometime."_

"I've got no plans for tomorrow. I'll come by the Velvet Room at… Now that I think about it, how does time work in there anyway?"

"_Thank you very much, Mr. Carter! I will see you tomorrow."_

Theodore hung up and Seth was left perplexed.

"… Did he not answer on purpose?"

* * *

_June 28, 2009, Sunday, Daytime_

Seth had brought Theodore from the Velvet Room to Iwatodai Station. The young man got on the escalator and as soon as he reached the bottom, he looked up to see that Theodore was still standing at the top and staring at the moving staircase.

"These stairs… they're moving…" Theodore said. "I've heard of these! It's an escalator, no?" He continued staring at the escalator in hesitation. "I-I shouldn't have a problem riding this, should I?"

"It's not going to bite…" Seth said before making a mischievous smile. "Provided you get off in time."

"Eep!"

"I'm only kidding! That only happens in cartoons! It's really harmless!"

Repeatedly, Theodore tried to get on the escalator, but would retract his foot almost as quickly as he lifted it.

"… This is going to take all day. Theo, just take the stairs!"

"N-no! I can do this!"

It took a few minutes, but Theodore eventually managed to get on the escalator.

"This is rather… slow." Theodore said as he rode the escalator.

When he got to the bottom and off the escalator, his demeanor of uncertainty changed to that of pride.

"Hah! That wasn't so hard!" Theodore said.

With that ordeal over with, Seth took Theodore to the strip mall.

"So this is a strip mall…" Theodore said to himself. "It's a lively place, indeed."

A delectable scent blew by the noses of the two men.

"That smell…"

"It's-" Seth was about to say.

"No, no, don't tell me!" Theodore interrupted him.

Theodore followed the scent to Octopia and told the cook the secret ingredient for the restaurant's takoyaki.

"Whoa, you can tell what our secret ingredient is just by its smell?" The cook asked. "How 'bout it? Wanna buy one? It'll make you smile so wide, your cheeks will fall off!"

"Why would I eat something that will make my cheeks fall off?!" Theodore asked.

"Theo, Theo…" Seth put his hand on Theodore's shoulder. "It's just a metaphor."

"I-I knew that!" Theodore replied. "As if such a thing could possibly happen…"

Theodore still looked at the takoyaki with wariness.

"… Would you like one?" Seth asked.

After Seth had bought both of them takoyaki, they took a seat at a nearby bench.

"97 degrees Fahrenheit…" Theodore examined the takoyaki. "And this texture… There's no mistaking it…"

"Yeah, if you bite out of it now, your cheeks really will fall off." Seth joked.

"There is actually another reason why I would think that."

"What is that?"

"There are some things you are better off not knowing."

Seth blew on the takoyaki and took a bite out of it. Without any warning, Theodore pinched his right cheek.

"Your cheeks don't seem to be in any danger." Theodore said.

"That's because I waited for mine to cool off."

"Thank goodness… If anything were to happen to you… Well, you are one of our valued guests, after all. Though I am sorry if I hurt you."

A few minutes later, Theodore was holding a takoyaki cell phone strap he had received from the takoyaki cook.

"Well now, isn't this charming?" Theodore said. "A souvenir for today's tour."

*I can imagine better souvenirs… but there are worse ones.* Seth thought.

"Know that it's your fault you won't be able to have this." Theodore said.

"I would've let you keep it, anyway."

Seth continued giving Theodore a tour of the strip mall.

"Thank you for making this a delightful day." Theodore said. "Strange… Time moves at a fixed rate, but there are times when it feels like it moves far too quickly."

With their tour over, Seth took Theodore back to the Velvet Room and called it a day.

* * *

_June 29, 2009, Monday, After School_

Once classes were over, Seth was getting up from his desk as Mitsuru entered the room without any warning and walked up to him.

"Carter, I would like to speak with you at your dorm later tonight." Mitsuru said in a way that was more of an order than a request, but wasn't necessarily cold either. "Your teammates are expected to join as well."

Mitsuru left the room without another word, leaving the rest of the students, including Seth, baffled and confused as to how nonchalantly and quickly she came in and went off.

* * *

_June 29, 2009, Monday, Evening_

In the lobby of the Heiwa dorm, Mitsuru was sitting on the couch while Homura and Daichi sat in individual chairs, Nobuo standing up and Emi poked her head out from behind the support beam. Eventually, Seth came in with a steaming tea kettle and teacup, set them down on the table between Mitsuru and the other Heiwa members and poured some tea into the cup.

"I figured you would like some tea, Mitsuru." Seth said.

Mitsuru picked up the teacup, lightly blew on it and took a sip.

"Not bad." Mitsuru said.

*Which means it's not the best…* Seth thought with a hint of disappointment.

"As you know, in one week's time we will all be facing another powerful Shadow." Mitsuru started. "To prepare for the coming threat, both of our teams will combine forces exploring Tartarus. I know it will be somewhat exhausting, but the payoff of seeing another Shadow eliminated will be worth the effort. Also, with this many of us fighting, the others are less likely to get sick or tired after exploring."

"That's not a bad idea!" Seth said. "No wonder you're Student Council President!"

"Now if you will excuse me, I shall take my leave." Mitsuru said. "That was all I had to say."

Mitsuru finished her teacup, stood up and was about to walk out the door.

"Wait!" Seth grabbed Mitsuru by the arm, catching her by surprise. "I know you've been hiding something from us this whole time. Be honest with us. What do you know about Tartarus and the Dark Hour."

"… I'm sorry, but now is not the time." Mitsuru replied sullenly. "I promise to explain everything soon. Just know that it is a responsibility I must burden alone."

Seth was reluctant to let go, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to pry the answers out of Mitsuru at the moment. He let go of her and she turned to him.

"You promise to explain yourself soon?" Seth asked.

Mitsuru nodded. "Those were my exact words."

"… Alright. You may go."

"Before I leave, I should warn you, Carter. Don't be so trusting of others… It might be your downfall someday."

Elsewhere in the city, a figure in a white cloak held a photograph of Seth and tightened his grip on it.

*Mark my words, Carter!* The figure thought. *Vengeance will be mine!*

* * *

**A/N:** That's it! I got that done sooner than I thought I would! Next chapter will be the Reverse Hierophant and Lovers! Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed! Stay tuned for next time!

**Heiwa (Fool) – Rank 4**

**Junpei (Magician) – Rank 5**

**Fuuka (Priestess) – Rank 2**

**Mitsuru (Empress) - Rank 3**

**Akihiko (Emperor) – Rank 3**

**Homura (Lovers) – Rank 5**

**Theodore (Hermit) – Rank 3**

**Nobuo (Fortune) – Rank 3**

**Daichi (Strength) – Rank 3**

**Makoto (Death) - Rank 4**

**Hardcore Gamer (Temperance) - Rank 3**

**Emi (Devil) – Rank 3**

**Troubled Woman (Tower) – Rank 3**

**Leliana (Star) - Rank 2**

**Shy Stalker (Sun) – Rank 2**


	17. Chapter 17

**Time to face the Reverse Hierophant and Lovers fights! I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

_July 7, 2009, Tuesday, Dark Hour_

After a week of training, S.E.E.S and the young members of Heiwa were ready to face the month's Shadow. Both groups were at the S.E.E.S dorm's command room, including Ikutsuki, and Fuuka had summoned her Persona to scan the city for any large Shadows.

"I'm glad we got all that training in." Seth said while clenching his hand and flexing his arms. "I already feel even much stronger than before."

"Let's hope that strength is enough to defeat tonight's Shadow." Daichi said.

"Any luck, Fuuka?" Akihiko asked.

"_Not yet…"_ Fuuka spoke in their minds through her Persona. _"… I found it! I sense a strong presence!"_

"W-we were right!" Junpei exclaimed. "It IS every full moon!"

"_It's located in Iwatodai…"_ Fuuka continued. _"Inside a building on Shirakawa Boulevard."_

*Shirakawa Boulevard?* Seth thought. *That's the place Makoto mentioned.*

"If the Lost have been found in pairs lately, that would explain why." Ikutsuki said.

"In pairs…" Mitsuru muttered. "Oh, I get it."

Homura was just staring at the ceiling blankly. "… I don't."

Fuuka dismissed her Persona.

"What's on Shirakawa Boulevard?" Fuuka asked. "I'm not familiar with that area."

"Me neither." Minato spoke up.

"I've heard about it, but…" Yukari said.

"There're hotels there where people… Ya know…" Junpei hinted.

Fuuka blushed and Homura still looked like she was confused.

"… What do they do?" Homura asked.

"Do you really need it spelled out?" Daichi questioned.

"Nonsense." Ikutsuki said. "They're no different than ordinary hotels. They just look fancier."

"That's it? Really?" Junpei groaned in disappointment. "Man…"

Yukari squirmed with her arms behind her back. "On second thought… Maybe I shouldn't go…"

"Heheh, you're as anxious as a little kid, Yuka-tan!" Junpei chuckled.

Yukari glared at Junpei. "W-whatever! Fine! Let's go!" She stood next to Fuuka. "I want a piece of the action this time! So who's gonna lead?"

"Arisato's been in charge of our team, but Carter has also displayed excellent leadership." Mitsuru said. "Perhaps we should put it to a vote. All in favor of Arisato leading?"

Yukari, Junpei, Mitsuru, Fuuka, Akihiko, Ikutsuki and Minato raised their hands.

"Since we already have a majority vote, Arisato will lead." Mitsuru proclaimed.

"Traitor." Seth murmured to Akihiko.

"Sorry, had more combat experience with Minato." Akihiko said.

"Yamagishi, I want you to handle support during this operation." Mitsuru turned to Fuuka.

"I'll do my best." Fuuka said.

"So, Minato, who're you gonna take with you?" Akihiko asked.

"If we're talking about a hotel, we should limit ourselves to a smaller team." Seth surmised. "At most four."

"I agree." Mitsuru said. "Arisato, since Takeba will join you, you must choose the two others for the assault team. The rest of us will take care of the lesser Shadows gathered around it."

"I want to go!" Homura spoke loudly. "I don't know what kind of place you're talking about and I really want to see it."

"Homura, this is serious." Daichi said. "You think that's gonna convince Minato-senpai to-"

"Alright, Homura. You can come." Minato said plainly.

"Seriously?!" Daichi exclaimed.

"Seth, I want you to join, too." Minato turned to the American. "You have the same power I do. The more of us there are, the better."

Seth smirked. "Music to my ears."

* * *

The combatants all went to one of the love hotels on Shirakawa Boulevard with Minato, Yukari, Seth and Homura taking the lead with everyone else keeping an eye on their rear. Fuuka identified the Shadow's location to be the third floor, which was fairly easy to get to. The four entered one of the rooms to see a large, portly Shadow wearing what looked like clerical robes and two rosaries next to him and a tall, nude woman with her arms wrapped around the fatter Shadow's head and a head shaped like coral.

"Why'd it have to be here of all places?" Yukari moaned begrudgingly.

"I still don't understand!" Homura said. "We came to this thing so quickly I didn't get a chance to look!"

"I'll tell you later." Seth said. "Minato, you ready?"

"Yeah." Minato nodded.

The Shadows began laughing and a vision of a cemetery appeared behind them. In that instance, Minato and Seth fell to their knees, barely able to keep themselves up.

"Minato-kun!" Yukari gasped.

"Seth-kun, what's wrong?!" Homura asked.

"Why am I… so scared?" Minato mumbled.

"This… this Shadow's nothing… so why…" Seth shuddered.

"_That Shadow must've cast a fear-based spell on them."_ Fuuka spoke to them through her Persona.

A shining, sparkling light appeared above Yukari's head.

"Yukari-chan, get out of the way!" Homura shouted.

Yukari looked up to see that the light was actually a lightning spell that was about to strike her, but before it hit, Homura tackled her out of the way and the bolt barely missed them.

"Thanks, Homura-chan!" Yukari sighed with relief and then looked to the guys. "I can get the guys back to normal, but I need some protection to cast the spell."

"Then I'll keep the Shadow busy." Homura slammed her gauntlets together and ran toward the Shadow.

Homura punched the Reverse Hierophant in its gut and it seemed to keel back a bit from the blow. As she distracted the Shadow, Yukari went over to Minato, pulled out her Evoker and pointed it at her forehead.

"Io!" Yukari shouted.

Yukari pulled the trigger and her Persona Io appeared, casting a Patra spell on Minato to cure him of his fear affliction.

"Thanks, Yukari." Minato said as he stood up.

"Help Homura while I help Seth." Yukari told him.

"Right." Minato nodded and ran toward the Reverse Hierophant, pulling out his Evoker on the way. "Hua Po!"

Minato fired the Evoker to summon one of his Personae, Hua Po, to cast a spell on the Reverse Hierophant. When Homura punched it again, the attack seemed to deal more damage than before.

While the fight continued, Yukari had just finished casting another Patra spell on Seth.

"I see you helped your boyfriend first." Seth stood up.

"He's NOT my boyfriend!" Yukari snapped.

"Yeesh, I was only kidding." Seth said before charging at the Shadow with his double-sided sword. "Let's end this quick!" He pulled out his Evoker and pointed it at his head. "Sarasvati!"

With the pull of the Evoker's trigger, Seth summoned the Persona Sarasvati and with a wave of her hand, a chunk of ice appeared in front of the Reverse Hierophant and froze a portion of its body. As it struggled to break free, Yukari took this opportunity to aim her bow and shot the large Shadow right in the face. Its mask broke and its body became limp as it began disintegrating into nothingness.

"_Good job, everyone!"_ Fuuka said. _"We'll all be waiting for you outside."_

"Finally, let's get out of this pla-" Yukari immediately made it to the door and tried to open it, but it wouldn't budge. "What the hell…"

"_Hold on! I still sense another Shadow in that room!"_

"You're kidding!" Seth exclaimed.

"That fight WAS too easy." Minato said.

"Well, it's got to be here somewhere…" Seth said.

They all started searching the room for where the Shadow might be, but Homura was staring at the bed.

"This bed… These designs…" Homura muttered to herself. "These colors… It's a Valentine's Day hotel!"

Seth almost fell over from hearing the conclusion Homura came to.

"Homura, this is a love hotel!" Seth said as he walked over to her.

"Isn't that what I just said?" Homura asked.

"Well, yes, but this place is open all year round and it's meant for… How do I word this nicely… No, I can't. Couples come here to pork."

Homura just froze in place and a blush formed on her face. As seconds passed, the blush only got redder.

Meanwhile, Minato was examining the large mirror in the room.

"Hm… This mirror looks kind of odd…" Minato mumbled.

Minato reached out to touch it and suddenly the next thing everyone saw was a bright, blinding white light.

* * *

In one of the hotel rooms, Seth finally regained consciousness after being knocked out. He didn't know what happened after Minato touched the mirror or how he ended up in a completely different room. In what seemed to be the bath room, he could make out the sound of someone taking a shower and he sat up to find he had been lying on a heart-shaped bed.

"God… what the hell…" Seth groaned.

_Embrace your desire…_

Seth felt like he heard a voice, except it was as if he was hearing himself.

_There's no need to be in a rush. I am your inner lust. Take in the pleasure._

"I can't…" Seth said to himself. "There's something more important I have to do, even though I can't recall what it was. And I'd be setting a poor example for Luke."

_He doesn't have to know. She's always been at the back of your head, you just haven't accepted it._

"No…"

_What's one little fling going to hurt? You think you have to always be a stand-up guy because you want to give your brother someone to look up to. You're denying your inner nature. Your mind is filled with lust, but not once in your life have you been able to relieve yourself of such tension. How ironic… You wish for your brother to have a family of his own and yet you won't even allow him to acknowledge that it's only natural to feel lust. It's all been locked up for your entire life and now is your chance to set it free._

"I… I can't…"

_Give in to your desires._

"… I see your point…"

_Yes, that's it… Embrace your desires…_

"… But now is not the time." Seth then thought to himself. *I know that voice was only trying to tempt me, but it was right. I've been denying my desires my whole life because I wanted to set an example for my brother, but perhaps I was taking it a bit to its extreme. Once this mission is done and we're back at the dorm, I'll-*

Suddenly, his head felt clear again and the sound of the running shower stopped. Seth turned to the bath room door and a few seconds later, he saw Homura walk out from it as she was drying her hair with a towel.

"What was I doing in there?" She asked herself.

Homura didn't see anything past the towel, but in that brief instance, Seth was able to see her entire body without any clothing covering it whatsoever. He blushed and had an insatiable urge to just stare at her, but he knew that she would notice him in the room, so he quickly covered up his eyes with his hand just as Homura lifted up her head and could see him.

"… Seth?"

Seth couldn't see anything, but he could make out the sound of her stomping towards him and felt a slap to the face so hard that he was knocked off the bed and onto the floor.

"PERVERT!" Homura shouted as she ran back into the bath room.

As he felt the stinging sensation in his cheek, he could make out a voice speaking to him.

"_Seth-kun, I've finally reached you!"_ Fuuka's voice spoke.

"Fuuka, what happened?" Seth asked.

"_I'm not sure. After you beat that first Shadow, I lost contact with your whole group."_

"Are Minato and Yukari okay?" Seth asked.

"_They're fine, but something must've happened because Yukari seemed a bit, um, defensive."_

"… I think I can imagine why…" Seth muttered.

Homura came out of the room with all of her clothes on and headed straight for the door.

"I suggest we never speak of this to anyone." Seth said.

She didn't say anything back and just opened the door. As soon as they left the room, Minato and Yukari came up to them.

"Just in time!" Seth said.

"Are you guys okay?" Minato asked.

"Could be better… but could be worse." Seth replied.

"Hm?" Minato and Yukari raised their eyebrows.

"Never mind." Seth said.

"_I've got it!"_ Fuuka said.

"Got what, Fuuka?" Minato asked.

"_It's the mirrors! They're giving off the same energy as the Shadow we're looking for! Perhaps breaking them might make the seal vanish."_

"Wait?" Homura asked. "We have to BREAK the mirrors?"

"NOW you speak up?!" Seth questioned.

"I'm still mad at you!" Homura glared at him.

"I remember this one mirror on the third floor was different from the others." Yukari stated. "When I stood in front of it, I felt kinda strange."

"Minato, you and Yukari check out this floor while Homura and I search on the third." Seth suggested. "Once one of us is done, we wait in front of the room where the Shadow is. No one fights that thing alone."

"Let's go then." Minato said.

Seth, Minato and Yukari scattered with Homura still standing around.

"But we'll get seven years of bad luck!" Homura shouted.

* * *

In one of the rooms on the third floor, Seth and Homura could feel something strange about the mirror, so the former was about to break it with one of the ends of his sword.

"Seth, wait!" Homura said.

"Seven years bad luck, I know, but what choice do we have?" Seth responded. "I'm willing to take the bad luck for you."

"It's not that, but… thank you." Homura said. "What I want to say is… I'm sorry for snapping at you earlier. I… wasn't aware you were out there and I probably should have covered myself with a towel at least. And…" She lightly blushed. "I already saw you naked, so just this once I'll just say we're even."

"Glad you aren't still mad at me."

"But if you DARE peek on me again, I WILL be mad. REALLY, REALLY mad."

The scary look on Homura's face made Seth shudder in fear. He quickly smashed the mirror and heard Fuuka speak to them through her Persona.

"_That's it!"_ Fuuka said. _"Minato and Yukari just took care of the mirror on the second floor. Please await them where you fought the Hierophant Shadow."_

"Got it!" Seth responded to Fuuka.

* * *

Seth, Minato, Yukari and Homura had converged at the door on the third floor where they had fought the previous Shadow. Minato took the lead and opened the door, revealing a giant heart-shaped and winged Shadow floating above the bed in the center.

"Because of you…" Yukari muttered before speaking louder. "I had to come to this disgusting place!"

"And I was humiliated!" Homura shouted.

"You're gonna pay!" Both girls shouted as the men just blankly stared at them.

"… Let's not ask." Seth said to Minato.

"Agreed." Minato nodded.

Seth pulled out his Evoker and aimed it at his head. "Mothman!"

Once fired, Seth summoned the Persona Mothman and it a green aura appeared around the Reverse Lovers.

"Yukari, go!" Seth ordered.

Yukari shot her Evoker and summoned her Persona, Io. A large gust of wind enveloped the large Shadow, keeping it trapped and off balance. Homura began running toward one of the walls and pushed herself off of it to leap right above the Shadow. At the same time, Minato readied his Evoker.

"Orpheus!"

Minato's Persona Orpheus appeared and bashed its lyre against the Reverse Lovers just as Homura crashed into it with her fist. Despite the considerable damage done to it, the giant Shadow was still kicking.

"It's STILL standing?!" Yukari groaned.

"Not making this as easy as last time, I see." Minato said.

The Shadow faced Yukari and just as soon as she raised her bow, her irises turned pink and lowered the weapon.

"Yukari, just shoot the damn thing!" Seth shouted.

Yukari turned to Seth and shot an arrow at him. Before it could hit, Homura ran and tackled him to the ground as Minato got in front of them.

"What are you doing, Yukari?" Minato asked.

"_Yukari-chan's been charmed by that Shadow!"_

Upon closer inspection, Minato noticed the color of Yukari's eyes had changed. At that moment, he pointed his Evoker at his head.

"… Sarasvati!" Minato shouted upon firing the Evoker.

The Persona Sarasvati appeared behind Minato and with a strum of her sitar, Yukari's eyes reverted to their normal coloring and the teenage girl looked back and forth in confusion.

"… Did I miss something?" Yukari asked.

"Yeah, I almost got an arrow through my brain." Seth replied. "Fight's still going!"

Suddenly, all four of them were hit by a spontaneous explosion of flames. Minato and Homura fell to the ground due to their susceptibility to fire attacks with serious burns. Seeing both of his friends in pain, Seth clenched his grip on his sword and turned to Yukari.

"Yukari! Heal Minato and Homura!" Seth shouted before pulling out his Evoker and pointing it at his head. "Jason!"

The image of the golden hero appeared behind Seth and he thrust his spear right into the center of the Shadow and pinned it to the wall. Seth then charged at the Shadow and began furiously slashing and stabbing it with his sword all over its form. While Seth was going ballistic, Yukari had used her Persona to heal Minato and Homura of their injuries. All three of them simply watched Seth go completely crazy on the Shadow until Jason pulled his spear back and stabbed it through the top of its head and all the way to the ground. Its wings went limp and its body completely disintegrated into nothingness. Seth recalled his Persona and walked back to the others with both blades of his sword covered in black goop, panting as everyone just stared at him the whole time.

"Shall we head home?" Seth asked.

* * *

All of S.E.E.S. and Heiwa went outside the hotel where Fuuka was waiting now that the Shadows have been defeated.

"I'm glad you're all safe." Fuuka said.

"Thanks to you." Seth said. "We'd still be running around like chickens with our heads cut off if you hadn't picked up on the mirrors."

"You and Arisato also deserve credit." Mitsuru stated. "You both withstood the enemy's mental assault."

"I gotta admit that Carter-kun got a bit scary at the end there." Yukari said. "Probably because his girlfriend got attacked."

"Hey, Minato was in just as bad of a condition and I value my friends more than anything!" Seth rebutted.

"Then why are you blushing?" Yukari questioned like she was about to laugh.

Seth realized his face was flushed a bit and his agitation at Yukari was making his arms shake.

"Consider that payback for what you said earlier." Yukari smirked mischievously, referring to calling Minato her boyfriend.

"Enough you two." Akihiko spoke up. "Let's call it a night."

* * *

On the top of a roof overlooking Shirakawa Boulevard, right across the street from where the Shadows once were, a shirtless, tattooed man, a younger man with glasses and a young woman were watching the young teenagers below head home.

"Faster than I expected…" The shirtless man said as he clapped his hands. "That was quite a show. They've been rather busy these last few months, including their frequent forays into the tower… And I see they've acquired some new recruits and allies as well. Their fighting style… fascinating… Wouldn't you agree?"

The tattooed man turned toward a figure wearing a white cloak and mask standing behind them.

* * *

When Seth and the others got back to the dorm, the Dark Hour had passed and everything was back to normal. Everyone went to their respective rooms to call it a night and Seth was lying on his bed as if waiting for something. After about a minute, he got up and went into his bathroom.

* * *

**A/N:** Yeah, sorry the fight scene wasn't as detailed as the others, but the chapter was going on longer than I had intended. I have something different in mind for the next fight, so I plan to write that one well. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed! Stay tuned for next time!


	18. Chapter 18

**Here's the next chapter! Hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

_July 8, 2009, Wednesday, Evening_

With finals coming up next week, all five members of Heiwa were all sitting around in their dorm's lounge with a bunch of different books opened.

"So, how exactly is this going to help our studying?" Seth questioned. "Ya know, considering we don't all take the same classes?"

"Some of us know certain subjects better than others." Homura replied. "If one of us has trouble with a particular topic or question, then someone else can help them out if we know it."

"But what if no one knows about it?" Emi asked. "Are we screwed?"

"I wouldn't necessarily say tha-" Homura said.

"Just say 'yes' or 'no'." Daichi interrupted.

"Yes…" Homura lowered her head.

Beep-beep, beep-beep! Beep-beep, beep-beep!

Seth pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and answered the call.

"Hello?" Seth asked.

"_Mr. Carter, how are things in Tatsumi Port Island?"_

"Director Matsuzawa, hello! Everything is going fairly well." Seth answered. "No signs of the Hands of Anarchy as of yet, but it's still possible they may be lying in wait. Hold on, let me put you on speaker."

With a press of a button, everyone in the room could now hear Matsuzawa over the phone.

"_Glad to hear that, and you're remaining vigilant. It was a wise decision to issue the five of you here, soon to be the seven of you."_

"You're sending us new members?!" Homura asked in joy.

"Any hot chicks?" Daichi asked in perversion.

"_Though they're both going to the junior high school as third years, I've already made arrangements to have them reside in your dorm."_

"Damn…" Daichi murmured to himself.

"_The first is my daughter, Kasumi."_

"Director, I didn't know you had a daughter." Nobuo said.

"_I wanted her to pass her training before I introduced her to the rest of Heiwa. She is by far the best of our new recruits."_

"Why thank you for the early Christmas gift." Seth said.

"_Mr. Carter, you especially will be happy to hear about the other recruit I'm sending your way."_

"Y… You don't mean-!" Seth grinned widely. "No freaking way! Luke?!"

"_Yes, Mr. Carter. Despite your younger brother's timidity, he has shown excellent prowess in tactical knowledge and great potential in the use of his Persona abilities. When selecting who to send him to, it would have been psychologically best if he was with a group he had some familiarity with."_

"When can we expect them?" Homura inquired.

"_They will be there by train tomorrow night. With the semester almost over, they won't be taking their exams and officially begin after the summer. Speaking of exams, best of luck to you."_

"Thanks, Director!" All of them said in unison.

"_Before I go… Daichi?"_

"Yes, Director?" Daichi responded.

"_If you do anything… untoward to my daughter… Well, unemployment will be the least of your problems."_

As Matsuzawa ended the call, Daichi just sat where he was completely wide-eyed in fear while everyone else just ignored him.

"I can't wait to meet your brother, Seth!" Homura said.

"Is he into comic books?" Nobuo asked.

"Maybe he's better-endowed than his older brother…" Emi muttered to herself.

"I'm really excited for Luke, but I'm also interested in the Director's daughter." Seth said. "She must be a badass if she's only two years younger than us."

Daichi didn't hear a single word they had said as his mind was going through all of the painful consequences that might have been hinted.

* * *

_July 9, 2009, Thursday, Evening_

At the Iwatodai train station, Seth was waiting for Luke and Kasumi to arrive, impatient to see his little brother again after leaving a few months ago.

*I hope those two get along.* He thought. *Hell, maybe she'll be Luke's future girlfriend. You never know.*

After a few more minutes, a train finally came to a stop where Seth was and the doors opened to a flood of people exiting it.

"Luke! Kasumi!" Seth called out to them.

After about a minute, the crowd coming out died down and eventually Luke walked out with a girl that was just as tall as Seth, with fiery red hair tied into a ponytail and clothed in blue jeans and a white T-shirt that accentuated her pretty developed assets for someone of her age. Luke was carrying a backpack and pulling a suitcase while the girl had a duffle bag slung over her right shoulder and a suitcase in her left hand.

"Luke!" Seth ran up to his brother and locked him in a bear hug so tight it almost suffocated him, the older brother sobbing happily. "I've been worried sick since the moment I left! I didn't know how you'd talk to people without me!"

"Seth? Seth!" Luke strained to speak. "You-I can't m-move!"

Seth released his grip on his brother. "Did you get along with Director Matsuzawa's daughter?"

"Yes, and no." The girl sighed. "I tried talking to him, but he wouldn't speak up. I figured he thought I was pretty and got shy."

"Luke's shy around everyone." Seth stood up and turned to the girl. "And you must be **Kasumi Matsuzawa (Age 14)**. I'm Luke's older brother, Seth."

Seth and Kasumi shook hands.

"I can see the resemblance." Kasumi smiled. "You're both pretty cute."

"Finally someone aside from our mother has said that!" Seth said.

Luke leered at the ground for a second and returned his gaze back to Seth.

"C-can we head t-to the dorm, please?" Luke asked.

"It IS a school night and I've got to introduce you two, soooo…" Seth replied.

* * *

The two newcomers followed Seth back to his dorm just as the sun was about to touch the horizon.

"This is the dorm?" Kasumi asked.

"After a week or so, it starts to feel homey." Seth stated. "Luke, you haven't said a word since we left the station."

Luke simply avoided eye contact with Seth.

"Why's he such a shut-in?" Kasumi questioned.

"Really long story, tell ya later 'cause we've got the rest of the dorm for you to meet." Seth said as he opened the front doors and all three entered the dorm. "I'm baaack!"

The first one to come down the stairs from the second floor was Homura and she quickly walked toward them.

"Hi, Seth!" Homura said before looking at Luke. "And you must be Luke."

Luke looked away from Homura and blushed. "Y… yes…"

"Aawww, you're shy." Homura practically sang and then turned to Kasumi. "And you're Ms. Matsuzawa?"

"Just call me Kasumi." She replied. "I don't want special treatment because of my dad. Care to introduce yourself?"

"I'm Homura Ryukawa. It's a pleasure to meet both of you. I wish your father could have told us more about you, but Seth never stopped talking about Luke."

"Yeah, Dad doesn't really pay attention to my life outside of Heiwa work." Kasumi nervously scratched her head.

Before Seth or Homura could question further about Kasumi's thoughts on her father, Daichi and Nobuo came walking down the steps.

"Hoy, are the recruits here?" Nobuo asked.

Daichi stopped upon seeing Kasumi. "… Dammit, why'd she have to be hot?!"

"The one talking funny is Nobuo Ueda and the perv is Daichi Mizushima." Seth introduced his friends.

"What's wrong with the way I talk?" Nobuo asked.

"I'm not gonna question 'perv', but of all the rotten luck…" Daichi sighed in disappointment.

"So that just leaves…" Seth mumbled.

"Seeeth…" Luke said as if something scary was approaching him.

Seth looked to Luke to see Emi examining the younger brother while behind him.

"Is… is there someone behind me?" Luke asked in fear.

"Hhmmmm…" Emi continued looking over Luke.

"That would be Emi." Seth chuckled in exasperation. "She's… uh… a bit dark."

After several seconds had passed, Emi stepped back from Luke.

"He lacks Seth's physique and charisma, that's for sure." Emi said.

"And my bad luck with girls continues…" Luke quietly murmured to himself.

"What was that?" Kasumi asked.

Luke just remained quiet.

"Luke, I'll show you to your room." Seth said. "Homura, can you take Kasumi to hers?"

"Sure." Homura nodded.

* * *

Seth took Luke to the second floor of the dorm and to the room that was right next door to older brother's room.

"The perfect place." Seth said. "I'm right next door, so if you need to ask me something or if you're in trouble, I'll be right there. And don't listen to Emi. She rarely says anything nice."

Luke was still quiet as he set his luggage by his bed.

"Come on, Luke." Seth said. "It's just us here right now. There's no need to be so distant."

"… You know I don't like being around other people…" Luke said.

"Luke-" Seth was about to say out of concern.

"B-but…" Luke continued. "Your friends here seem r-really nice… aside from the scary girl. Even Kasumi, despite her constant talking, seems pleasant to be around."

Seth's feeling of concern was partially replaced by surprise, giving him a light smile.

"Director Matsuzawa stated that my tactical capabilities are better than a majority of people in Heiwa." Luke said. "But to communicate those strategies, I need to overcome my anxiety. It'll take some time, I know, but this might be the perfect opportunity for me to get over it."

Seth walked up to Luke and gave him a warm, comforting hug.

"I'm so proud of you, Luke." Seth whispered. "You came to that conclusion all by yourself. And I know you're still not used to other people, so don't be afraid to ask for my help every now and then, but you still have to get through conversations on your own. You won't learn anything if I keep helping you."

Luke smiled and closed his eyes. "… I know…"

The brothers remained in each other's arms for almost half a minute until Seth backed off.

"You should probably start unpacking and head to bed." Seth said. "I'm sure you want to spend time with me, but it's gonna be a bit difficult with studying for finals. Once finals are over, I'm completely free."

"O-okay." Luke nodded.

* * *

After showing Luke to his room, Seth went up to the third floor and saw Homura closing the door to one of the rooms.

"Is she heading to bed?" Seth asked as he walked up to her.

"No, Kasumi's going to be up for a bit." Homura replied. "She's not at all what I expected."

"You say it like that's a bad thing."

"N-no! She's just not as formal as her father. I'm surprised how different she and Luke are."

"Yeah, Luke brought up how she kept trying to talk to him on the train ride here."

"… Why'd you come up here?" Homura asked in suspicion.

"Just wanted to see if she'd be a possible future wife for Luke."

Homura stared at Seth like he was being weird. "… As long as you don't get creepy, ask away."

Seth just looked at Homura in confusion as she walked down the staircase. He went up to the door Homura had come out of and knocked on it.

"Kasumi, it's Seth!" Seth said. "Mind if I talk to you?"

"Sure, let me just get dressed… again…" Kasumi replied from within her room.

Seth waited for half a minute until the door was opened by Kasumi.

"What'd you wanna talk about?" Kasumi asked cheerfully.

"Just wanted to pick your brain for a bit." Seth replied.

"Already taken aback by my feminine wiles?" Kasumi teased by stretching her arms behind her head.

"Eheheheh, no… But I AM curious about your type."

"As much as I love me some beefcake, I'd rather date guys with cute personalities. Mostly the shy, innocent, loyal type."

Seth noticed behind her the contents within her room. A stack of magazines with muscular male models on their covers, a few health and fitness guides and a couple of small stuffed cat plush toys had already been unpacked and strewn across the floor.

"You unpacked quick." Seth said. "You did this AND took your clothes off in the less than a minute since Homura left you alone?"

"I'm just excited is all." Kasumi chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of her head. "It's not often I..." She then shook her head. "Never mind."

"Hm?" Seth raised his eyebrow.

"You and the others have finals to study for. There'll be plenty of time for talk after that. Good night!"

Kasumi closed the door, leaving Seth slightly dumbfounded, but she did have a point. He went back downstairs for another study session in the dorm's lobby.

* * *

_July 12, 2009, Sunday, Evening_

Everyone in Heiwa spent the next few days studying for finals and their focus was disrupted when there was knocking on their front door.

"Curses! I almost had it!" Nobuo growled and pounded his fists against the table.

"Who says 'curses', seriously?" Daichi questioned.

Seth went to the door, opened it and to his surprise saw Mitsuru.

"Mitsuru? What brings you here?" Seth asked.

"There's something important I need to tell you." Mitsuru said with a regretful look on her face. "It's something I've been hiding for a few months now, even from most of S.E.E.S. I told them the other day and… things are rather tense between us. I came here in the hopes of at least informing all of you of the situation as well."

Mitsuru came inside and told them how her grandfather had headed a series of Shadow-related experiments near Gekkoukan until ten years ago, when an explosion had killed most of the scientists which resulted in the Dark Hour and the Shadows that appeared on nights of the full moon. The silver lining being that Ikutsuki discovered that defeating the powerful Shadows would get rid of the Dark Hour. When she was finished speaking, there was a heavy silence amongst the Heiwa members.

"… I'm sorry I've kept this secret for so long…" Mitsuru apologized.

"… No point in apologizing to us." Seth said.

"Huh?" Mitsuru looked at Seth in confusion.

"Keeping this from us… That's understandable." Seth clarified. "Despite our alliance, we both have suspicions about the other. There are many things we haven't told you about Heiwa, but none of those are things you need to know. However, I do feel you should have told us this much, much sooner. Though, you should really be apologizing to your teammates. If their leader's keeping secrets from them, the team's loyalty starts to waver. From now on, you should be more open to them."

"…" Mitsuru sighed. "You're a fair wiser leader than I am, Mr. Carter."

"I doubt that, Mitsuru. I'm far more inexperienced than you in leadership. We both excel in certain areas, but are disadvantaged in others. Just don't beat yourself up over this."

Mitsuru lightly smiled and stood up. "Thank you. I appreciate the advice, but I'm not sure how much good it will do at this point."

"All we can do is wait."

"Now if you'll excuse us, we have finals to study for." Daichi interrupted.

"Very well, I shall take my leave." Mitsuru said as she walked toward the door.

"Before you go…" Seth spoke up.

"Ugggggh!" Daichi groaned and slammed his head against the table.

"We recently recruited two new members." Seth stated. "One of them's my little brother, Luke. The other is Kasumi, our director's daughter. I felt I should've told you about that at least."

"Thank you for sharing that information." Mitsuru said. "I should follow your example in trusting your team."

Mitsuru left the dorm and Seth proudly crossed his arms.

"You all hear that?" Seth asked. "I was just complimented on my leadership skills! Now you HAVE to show me respect!"

"And it's comments like that that make us roll our eyes." Daichi said.

"Killjoy…" Seth murmured.

* * *

_July 18, 2009, Saturday, After School_

The moment Seth had finished his last test, he dropped his head onto his desk and was about to fall asleep.

"Thank God it's over…" Seth whispered to himself.

"Don't be so dramatic!" Homura laughed.

Seth turned his cell phone on and he immediately received a text message.

"Hm?" Seth sat up and read over the message. "Mitsuru and her gang's going to Yakushima on Monday for three days!"

Homura sighed. "If only we could go somewhere nice like that… Must be good being rich…"

"Hold on…" Seth raised his index finger and continued sifting through the message. "… Read this."

Seth handed Homura his phone and she read the message.

"… No way!" Homura exclaimed loudly. "We're invited, too?!"

"I couldn't believe it either!" Seth exclaimed as well. "That's why I handed it to you, so I'd know if I was hallucinating!"

"AH!" Homura shouted with a dejected face. "Oh no!"

"What?"

"I haven't gone swimming in five years! I doubt my old swimsuit would fit me anymore!" She quickly picked up her bag. "I'll see you later, Seth! I have to go to the mall NOW!"

Homura bolted out the door like a superhero while Seth just stared blankly.

"Come to think of it…" Seth muttered while rubbing his chin. "Luke's never gone swimming in years either. And I completely forgot mine back in America. Might as well go to the mall with Luke and pick something out."

Seth left the classroom while sending a text message to Luke about his plans for the afternoon.

* * *

**A/N:** I'm sorry this took so long! May and June were busy months for me! I'm also sorry not a whole lot happened this chapter, but I felt like I got what I needed to write in. While I was planning to bring Luke in later and Kasumi in another story, I felt like it might be best to introduce them here and add a couple more Social Links for Seth. Speaking of Persona… DAMMIT! WE'RE NOT GETTING PERSONA 5 UNTIL NEXT YEAR! Anyway, here are the current Social Link stats. I hope you all enjoyed! Stay tuned for next time!

**Heiwa (Fool) – Rank 5**

**Junpei (Magician) – Rank 5**

**Fuuka (Priestess) – Rank 2**

**Mitsuru (Empress) - Rank 3**

**Akihiko (Emperor) – Rank 3**

**Homura (Lovers) – Rank 5**

**Theodore (Hermit) – Rank 3**

**Nobuo (Fortune) – Rank 3**

**Daichi (Strength) – Rank 3**

**Makoto (Death) - Rank 4**

**Hardcore Gamer (Temperance) - Rank 3**

**Emi (Devil) – Rank 3**

**Troubled Woman (Tower) – Rank 3**

**Leliana (Star) - Rank 2**

**Luke (Moon) – Rank 1**

**Shy Stalker (Sun) – Rank 2**

**Kasumi (Aeon) – Rank 1**


	19. Chapter 19

**YEAH! YA! KU! SHI! MA! I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

_July 20, 2009, Monday, Daytime_

After coming to the island of Yakushima by boat, both S.E.E.S. and Heiwa arrived at the vacation home they would be staying at for the next few days.

"Wow…" Fuuka looked around, admiring the resort.

"It's like we're on an episode of _The Lifestyle of the Rich and Fabulous_!" Junpei said.

"Took the words right outta my mouth, Junpei." Daichi said.

"I wonder if places like this lose their luster the more the one percent visit them…" Seth murmured to himself.

A pair of maids approached them and bowed to Mitsuru, who was at the front of the group.

"Welcome back, Milday." The maids greeted in unison.

"And you must be her schoolmates, correct? Welcome to the Kirijo vacation home." One of the maids said. "Please follow me."

"Uh…" Yukari was a little flabbergasted and thought this couldn't be real. "Is this the right place?"

"Dude, real-life maids…" Junpei whispered excitedly.

"I knew Kirijo-san came from a wealthy family, but this definitely confirms it." Fuuka said.

The two maids were just about to guide the teenagers to their rooms, but stopped upon seeing a man in a suit with a scary face and an eye patch approach and they bowed to him. As the man passed by, Mitsuru looked toward him.

"It's good to see you." Mitsuru said to the man.

The man didn't respond and continued walking in the opposite direction.

*Was that Mitsuru's father?* Seth thought. *That was pretty cold of him… Although…* He covered his mouth so nobody could notice his smile. *He looks so silly! It's like he's a villain out of a spy flick!*

The rest of the group seemed to have come to the conclusion that he was her father as well.

"He's not gonna make us walk the plank, is he?" Junpei asked.

Seth couldn't contain his laughter much longer and let out an audible giggle.

"Don't be stupid…" Akihiko said to Junpei.

Mitsuru chuckled. "We won't be here for long, but make yourself at home."

"Sweet!" Junpei pumped his fists in excitement. "This is gonna rock! Hey, wanna go to the beach? It's right there!"

"I second that motion!" Daichi quickly agreed.

"Already?" Yukari questioned.

"Okay, but let's get changed first!" Homura said excitedly. "It's been so long since I went swimming!"

* * *

After changing, all of the guys except for Seth and Luke were already at the beach and ready to have some fun. Daichi was wearing white trunks with two black stripes on each side and Nobuo was in plain gray trunks. Luke didn't want to change with the other guys, so Seth stayed behind so he could guide him to the beach when he finished.

"Aw yeah! THIS is summer!" Junpei said.

As the S.E.E.S. men talked, Daichi turned to Nobuo, who had been lost in thought for a while now.

"Something wrong, Nobuo?" Daichi asked. "You haven't spoken since we got to our rooms and changed."

Nobuo snapped back and looked at Daichi with a chuckle. "Sorry, just a bit distracted."

When Junpei ran off, Daichi and Nobuo turned their attention in that direction and the former ran next to Junpei to see Yukari come by in a bikini.

"Say hello to contestant number one, Yukari Takeba!" Junpei began talking like an emcee. "As you can see, she's chosen quite the bold and unexpected design! It takes a lot of confidence to pull it off!"

"You look great, Yukari." Minato said with a smile.

"Oh, th-thanks, Minato." Yukari replied.

"I hope Mitsuru and Homura come out soon…" Daichi's mouth salivated. "Just thinking about those two… Heheheheh…" A creepy expression appeared on Daichi's face.

"Please don't do that…" Nobuo cringed at the sight of his friend's perverted face.

They then heard footsteps approaching them.

"And here comes contestant number tw-!" Junpei was about to say.

However, instead of one of the other girls coming up to them, it was Seth and Luke, the former was in half-black, half-yellow trunks and the latter was in plain red trunks and a blue swim tee.

"Are we doing a swimsuit contest or something?" Seth asked before talking like an announcer. "Most of us guys are keeping it simple, but Luke is showing way too much modesty for a summer's day."

"I don't like people seeing my body!" Luke looked down shyly and blushed.

Seth could feel someone staring from behind a nearby tree and looked over to see Emi partially hiding from them.

"Come out, Emi!" Seth called out to her.

Although she was reluctant to come out into the sunlight, because she didn't like the sun at all, but she eventually came out and showed her pitch-black bikini with a camisole top.

"And heeeere we have contestant number two, Emi Tsukino!" Daichi matched Junpei's beauty pageant theatrics. "Her black bikini compliments not only her gothic personality, but also her creamy and lovely skin!"

"Thanks." Emi said in her typical voice. "And that's genuine gratitude. So what do you think, Seth? Do you like?"

As Emi posed seductively, Luke turned around and looked toward the water and away from the girls.

"Why're you lookin' away, Luke?" Junpei questioned. "This is a man's dream come true!"

"I… I don't want my eyes to wander…" Luke said quietly, but loudly enough to be heard by everyone.

"Luke's such a gentleman, even if it IS rather extreme." Seth stated.

Fuuka then came by in a creamy green bikini with a skirt with the bottom.

"Is that umbrella taken?" Fuuka pointed at the umbrella that was sticking out of the sand near Minato.

"Next up is contestant number three, Fuuka Yamagishi!" Junpei continued. As he further examined Fuuka, he started blushing. "Wow, Fuuka… I had no idea you were so… Er, I mean, you should wear a swimsuit more often!"

"Huh?" Fuuka was a bit confused until she looked down at the swimsuit she was wearing and gasped in shock, prompting her to hide behind Yukari.

"Come on, there's nothing to be embarrassed about." Junpei said. "Heheh."

"Okay, that's enough, guys." Seth tried to break them up. "I'm all for appreciating the female form as the rest of you, but not to the point of frightening the poor girls."

"I'm sorry I took so long!" Homura shouted from the direction of the vacation home.

The voice drew everyone's attention and the jaws of Seth, Junpei and Daichi dropped when they saw Homura. She was in a purple bikini that looked kind of tight and accentuated her very large breasts.

"I had some problems getting into my swimsuit!" Homura said.

She continued running until she had reached the group and everyone just stared at her, except for Luke who was still looking away.

"H… Homura…" Seth was blushing barely able to speak.

"Um…" Homura squirmed bashfully. "You… you look really good… Seth…"

"Y-yeah…" Seth stuttered. "You… do, too…"

The two just stared at each other in silence, completely forgetting everyone else around them.

"Woo!" Daichi roared. "And here's contestant-! Mumfer fou!"

Seth quickly placed his hand over Daichi's mouth to keep him quiet. Meanwhile, Luke was slouching on his knees and drawing circles in the sand.

"I'm going to die old and alone with 35 cats all named 'Neko'…" Luke muttered depressingly.

"Seth, is your brother… always like this?" Minato inquired even though Seth still wasn't paying attention to him.

Junpei could hear another set of footsteps approaching them. "And here comes our final contestant!"

Everyone, aside from the disheartened Luke, looked in the direction of the footsteps to see Mitsuru walking up to them casually, wearing a white bikini with a matching, nontransparent sarong and a beautiful red flower on the left side of the top.

"… Hm?" Mitsuru spoke out of slight confusion. "Is something wrong?"

Fuuka walked up to the S.E.E.S. leader and glanced over her features. "Wow… Mitsuru-senpai, you're beautiful…"

Yukari agreed. "Yeah, your skin is flawless! Did you already put on sunscreen?"

As the Fuuka and Yukari began talking to Mitsuru, Daichi just kept staring at her.

*… Okay, I'll admit that Mitsuru has everyone beat in terms of overall beauty…* He thought. *Buuuuut…* His eyes were focused on Homura's breasts. *Hottie Homura has everyone beat in terms of busts!*

"I had a feeling you guys were going to compare us girls!" Kasumi's voice called out from out of nowhere. "So I figured if I wanted to have the biggest impact, the best should be saved for last!"

"Where's Kasumi?" Nobuo looked around. "I hear her, but can't see her!"

"How come you haven't commented until now?" Daichi questioned.

"Up here!"

Everyone looked up to see something falling from a nearby tree and once it landed, a cloud of sand was kicked up. With their vision obscured, they had to wait for the dust to subside before they could finally see Kasumi standing proudly and wearing a bikini top that was red on the right cup and yellow on the left and orange bottoms, both showing off her ample figure and furthering the already established impression that she looked a few years older than she actually was.

"How do I look, boys? Hot?" Kasumi asked.

"Are you sure you're still in junior high?" Junpei questioned.

Junpei turned to Daichi to see that he was looking away from Kasumi.

"Why're you being like Luke NOW?" Junpei asked.

"Hm?" Kasumi looked over and saw Luke still twirling his finger around in the sand.

"My brother gets the sweetest girl and I get a bunch of cats…" Luke kept mumbling. "I can't marry cats…"

"Why are you so gloomy, Luke-kun?" Kasumi asked. "And why aren't you showing any skin?"

"Because he's self-conscious, too much of a gentleman and a pessimistic romantic…" Seth replied nervously.

"Yeah, but he's bigger than his brother…" Emi said.

The majority of the group there had no idea how to react to Emi's comment. The closest thing to an internal response Seth felt was a bit of surprise and the only concrete response was a bit of blood dripping from Kasumi's nose. She wiped off the blood and immediately walked in front of Luke.

"Come on, Luke, don't look so glum!" She smiled proudly. "You're at a beach resort and surrounded by friends and beautiful women! A lot of people would kill for this kind of experience! So buck up, have some fun and…" She reached for the bottom of Luke's swim tee. "Take off this shirt!"

Once Kasumi took off Luke's swim tee, he got out of his depressed state and screamed while covering his chest with his arms.

"Give me back my shirt!" Luke shouted.

"If you want it, you gotta catch me!" Kasumi started running off into the water while waving the swim tee around. "And why're you covering your chest? You're not a girl!"

Everyone just stared at the strangeness that was going on between the two young teens, but that was broken when Homura started laughing.

"Kasumi's right!" Homura said. "We're here to have fun, so let's have fun!"

Homura dashed toward the water and Seth soon followed after her. Eventually, everyone else started to join the fun in the water or relax in the chairs.

* * *

_July 20, 2009, Monday, Late Night_

After having fun at the beach all day, Mitsuru's father, Takeharu Kirijo, confirmed everyone's suspicions that defeating the full moon Shadows would get rid of the Dark Hour via a video left behind by Yukari's father, Eiichiro Takeba. Understandably, Yukari got upset and Minato went to check up on her.

In the meantime, the Heiwa guys all went into their room, which was right next to the room where the men of S.E.E.S. were staying in.

"So Luke, did you have fun today?" Seth asked.

"I probably would have, if Kasumi wasn't harassing me." Luke answered.

"Dude!" Daichi became particularly exasperated. "You had a hot girl's attention for a full day! She clearly likes you!"

"It's a façade…" Luke said. "She's just pretending so she can make fun of me later."

"You're a real downer, you know that?" Nobuo asked.

"Besides, she's too much for me, anyway." Luke continued.

"Then what kind of girl DO you like?" Daichi asked.

"Does it really matter?" Luke questioned. "It's not like they're going to like me back, but Seth can't seem to get that through his skull!"

"What's wrong with wanting my little brother happy?" Seth asked as he got up to his brother. "You're a kind and gentle person and you deserve to find love."

"Just because I deserve something doesn't mean I'll get it!" Luke argued. "I've had bad luck with girls from the moment I was born, what makes you think things will be different now or in the future?"

"You think you're the only one that hasn't been a hit with the ladies?!" Daichi snapped.

Everyone looked at Daichi in surprise and he walked up to Luke and held him up by the collar of his shirt.

"I've flirted with girls every day since I was in middle school!" Daichi began ranting. "And every time ended in failure, but does that stop me? No! I keep trying and trying and never lose hope that one day I'll find someone! All I can tell you is to not give up hope that someday you'll find that special girl and stop being hard on yourself! If you're anything like your brother says you are, then you'll find love far sooner than me! We're still young, so we've got plenty of time and no reason to rush it!"

The whole room went quiet and Luke remained silent and motionless during the whole thing.

"… Well?!" Daichi growled.

"Daichi, that's enough!" Seth shouted and gripped Daichi's wrist. "It's been a long day. I think we should all go to bed now."

"What-" Daichi was about to say.

However, Daichi stopped talking when he saw Seth giving him a frightening death glare. Daichi let go of Luke's collar and walked over to his bed, as did everyone else before officially turning in for the night.

* * *

The Dark Hour had long passed when Kasumi got up in the middle of the night. However, when she looked toward the window, she could make out someone sitting on a log at the beach and decided to check who it was. The moment she got close enough, she saw that the mysterious person was just Luke and walked over to him.

"What brings you out so late?" Kasumi asked.

Luke looked at Kasumi as she sat down next to him.

"I've j-just been thinking and c-couldn't sleep." Luke answered while looking away from her.

"Look, if it's about me taking your shirt earlier, I'm sorry." Kasumi apologized.

"N-no, I'm over that. I'm just considering that… my brother and his friends might be right."

"What would they be right about?"

"That my constant rejection is making me pessimistic about romance far too soon."

"Yeah, can't argue with that."

"So it's not just them…"

"You're 14, not 70!" She somewhat laughed. "And even then, it's still possible to find love."

There was nothing but silence between the two for the next few seconds, the only sounds being those of the waves.

"… There's something I want to tell you, but you've got to promise me you won't tell anyone."

Luke nodded.

"My father… is very strict on how I live my life." Kasumi said sadly. "All he has me do is train and study, with very little breaks in between to have fun or be myself and I never got a chance to make friends in school. I always have to be the formal daughter of the director whenever I'm around him or other Heiwa officials. He won't even let me have a boyfriend and even if he did, he'd have to meet very specific criteria. So consider yourself lucky, Luke. At least you have a choice when it comes to your love life… unlike me…"

"I'm… I'm sorry to hear that, Kasumi…" Luke said sullenly.

"It wasn't so bad, because I always knew I would eventually meet people who would accept me for who I was and let me be myself."

Luke wasn't sure what else he could say to her, so he remained silent.

"That's the outlook you should have. Eventually, you'll find someone you like who shares your feelings."

"… Th-thank you, Kasumi…"

Kasumi smiled happily and cutely.

"By the way… Why are you up?" He asked.

Kasumi realized the reason she had woken up and started to feel strained.

"A-are you okay?"

"… I had to use the ladies' room!" Kasumi squealed before running back to the vacation home.

Luke just stared off at her and sighed in exasperation.

"That girl is something else…" Luke said before looking up at the starry night sky. "But she's right… Eventually it'll happen… Someday…"

* * *

_July 21, 2009, Tuesday, Daytime_

It was almost noon and Luke decided to sleep in since he didn't get much of it the night before. In the meantime, Seth took the rest of Heiwa, minus Daichi, to a secluded area of the beach so the girls wouldn't be bothered by him or Junpei like yesterday. Luke finally woke up and as he was brushing his teeth, he could hear a phone ringing in the room. He spat out the toothpaste and walked over to see it was his brother's phone that was going off.

"Hello?" He picked it up.

"_Luke, where is your brother?"_ Mitsuru's voice called out. _"Are you with him or Arisato?"_

"I-I'm alone in our room. Seth, Nobuo and the girls went to another part of the beach."

"_This is an emergency! An anti-Shadow weapon is loose on the island! I need you to contact your brother and gather everyone to search for it!"_

"O-okay! I'm heading out now! Just call me on this phone if-f anything happens!"

Luke got dressed, put the phone in his pocket and ran out the door.

* * *

**A/N:** Finally done! I'm sure you all know what the weapon is, but I felt like it was a dramatic enough note to end the chapter on. I'm sure some of you want Luke to end up with someone by the end of the story and Kasumi is one of the two possible love interests I have in mind. Who's the other? I'm keeping that secret until she shows up. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed! Stay tuned for next time!


	20. Chapter 20

**Here's the next chapter! I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

_July 21, 2009, Tuesday, Daytime_

Seth, Homura, Nobuo, Emi and Kasumi were all enjoying themselves at a secluded area of the beach surrounded by large rocks. Daichi was left with the guys in SEES in the normal beach area.

"It's a shame Kirijo-san and the others didn't want to join us." Homura said as she swam.

"After Junpei and Daichi's antics yesterday, I'd be surprised if they wanted to go swimming with them again." Seth commented.

"Come to think of it, Nobuo's never done or said anything pervy." Homura said. "Not even once."

"Well-Maybe I'm just a gentleman who knows how to address a lady." Nobuo replied quickly.

"I know why…" Emi said while sitting underneath a small cliff.

Nobuo looked at Emi in worry as everyone else looked at her in confusion and curiosity.

"But I'm not going to divulge the details." Emi said.

Nobuo sighed with relief.

"Seeeeeeth!"

They looked in the direction of the voice and saw Luke approaching them in his casual attire.

"Luke!" Seth smiled. "Finally decided to get up, sleepyhead?"

"Yes, but we've got an emergency!" Luke panted from the running he had just done. "Apparently, there's a lab on this island and one of its weapons is on the loose!"

"Why didn't you call us?!" Seth questioned.

Luke then brought up his brother's phone.

"… Never mind." Seth simply said before turning around to face the rest of his team. "Listen up! I know we're half-naked, but we've got no time to lose! Capturing this weapon is of the utmost priority!"

BEEP-BEEP! BEEP-BEEP!

Seth took his phone from Luke, saw that it was Mitsuru calling and answered it.

"Mitsuru, Luke just came by and told us the situation." Seth said. "We're going to conduct a search of the island immediately."

"_Actually, Carter, we've already found the weapon."_ Mitsuru stated.

"What?! Really?!" Seth asked. "Is anyone hurt?!"

"_Nobody's injured. Well, it didn't even attack anybody. When Ikutsuki-san showed up, he said that the weapon was found. Sorry for the interruption. Please, resume your activities."_

Mitsuru ended the call and Seth handed his phone back to Luke.

"Change of plans, let's keep swimming." Seth said.

"What about the weapon?" Nobuo asked.

"Mitsuru says things have been taken care of." Seth replied. "I don't know any details, but I'm sure we'll find out sooner or later."

* * *

_July 21, 2009, Tuesday, Evening_

In the same room they had met in the previous night, all members of SEES and Heiwa had gathered to meet with Ikutsuki.

"I apologize for all of the trouble." Ikutsuki said. "Everything is under control now."

"What exactly was that weapon, anyway?" Seth inquired.

"I'll show you." Ikutsuki then turned to behind him. "Come here, Aigis."

Approaching from the direction Ikutsuki was looking in was what appeared to be a girl with short blonde hair, but her body looked like it was completely mechanical despite some clothing and a red bow by her neck. The sight of her appearance seemed to have caught everyone by surprise.

"This is Aigis." Ikutsuki stated. "As you can see, she is an android."

"I am Aigis." She spoke in a tone that further drove home that she was not human. "My mission is to destroy Shadows. I have been assigned to SEES, effective immediately."

"No way…" Yukari gasped. "It's like… she's alive…"

"I d-didn't think we HAD that technology yet…" Luke muttered.

"Man, she's cute, but…" Junpei blushed, but then sighed in disappointment. "She's a robot…"

Both Junpei and Akihiko lowered their heads, which confused everyone a bit.

"She may be a robot, but…" Daichi's eyes began to shimmer with joy. "She's still so fascinating! If she's designed to destroy Shadows, then she must be powered by a Plume of Dusk!"

"That's correct." Ikutsuki said to Daichi. "Anti-Shadow weapons were designed ten years ago to combat uncontrollable Shadows. Aigis is the last one to be made, and the only one still in operation."

"But if she's made to fight Shadows, then does that mean…" Mitsuru wondered aloud.

"Yes." Aigis responded to Mitsuru. "I am capable of operating the Persona, Palladion."

Another collective air of surprise had risen among the teens.

"She's been in the lab for several years due to severe damage from combat." Ikutsuki stated. "But somehow, she managed to reactivate herself earlier this morning. Well, I hope you all get along."

Both Fuuka and Daichi walked up to Aigis and examined her.

"An anti-Shadow weapon with a will of its own…" Fuuka said. "Amazing!"

"Daichi, you better not be perving out over her!" Homura scolded.

"Not this time." Daichi said before continuing his examination of Aigis. "I wonder what went into making her… I hope you wouldn't mind if I studied your inner machinations, would you?"

"Um, by the way, Aigis…" Yukari spoke up. "When we met you earlier, it seemed like you knew Minato."

Aigis nodded. "Yes, it is very important for me to be by his side."

That statement confused everyone in the room, considering it was highly doubtful that Minato and Aigis had encountered each other before today.

"Sounds to me she's taken a liking to you, Minato." Seth grinned and nudged Minato.

"She DID turn down Akihiko-senpai, Junpei and Daichi-kun." Minato guessed.

"Hmm…" Ikutsuki pondered Aigis's comment. "Perhaps her identification system is malfunctioning… Or she might still be half asleep… Veeery peculiar…"

"Or maybe, considering she has a Persona and thus a human heart, it's possible that she may have developed a crush." Daichi surmised before muttering to himself. "Perhaps it's tied to that Plume of Dusk… Or maybe something else…"

"Well, in any case, it's a pleasure to meet you, Aigis." Seth walked up to her and held out his hand.

Aigis looked at his hand somewhat perplexingly.

"Come on, you should know what a handshake is." Seth giggled.

Aigis moved her hand right near Seth's and he grabbed and shook it.

"There we go…" Seth said.

* * *

_July 23, 2009, Thursday, Daytime_

With their stay at Yakushima officially over, everyone had to leave on the ship back to Tatsumi Port Island. Seth was at the edge of the ship, looking out at the clear blue sea, when Mitsuru walked up to him.

"I know the last thing you want to talk about right now is business, but I've noticed that your team has yet to explore Tartarus since the last full moon." Mitsuru said.

"Yeah…" Seth sighed. "Those finals really affected our training regimen. I bet your team hasn't trained for at least a week and a half."

"If that's the case, until the next full moon we should explore Tartarus together every night." Mitsuru suggested. "However, we shouldn't push ourselves to the point of exhaustion."

"Right, won't do us any good if someone gets sick. Anything else?"

"Nothing important, although…" Mitsuru rested her arms against the ship's railing. "I AM curious as to why you're out here instead of inside with the others."

"Just admiring the waves… It's been a long time since I've had a chance. Last I remember, it was when I was flown here from America, but… The more I think about it, this trip marks the first time I've seen them close up. The sight's… almost mesmerizing…"

* * *

_July 24, 2009, Friday, Lunchtime_

With only a day and a half of classes left before summer break, Seth knew that the scores for finals would be posted soon. He felt like he did well, but there was always that sense of doubt looming over him like a reaper. The tension was broken when a student barged into the classroom.

"The test scores are up!"

Everyone got out of their seats and went out to the hallway to see how everyone was ranked on their finals. When Seth saw his ranking, he was legitimately surprised.

"I… I came in sixth?!" Seth exclaimed.

He had to double check and slapped himself to make sure he wasn't seeing things and he, in fact, had the sixth highest score.

"Unbelievable!" Seth said.

"Congratulations, Seth!" Homura walked up behind him and smiled before looking for her name. "Where… am… I… There!"

Seth looked to where Homura was pointing and saw that she was ranked fourth.

"Wow, even better than last time!" Seth said.

"At this rate, you'll have a higher score than me on the next exams…" Homura sulked a little.

"This isn't a competition… Though who came in first?"

They both looked at where the number one student was listed and were surprised at the name next to it.

"Minato?!" Seth exclaimed again. "HE got the highest score! Man, he's something else…"

* * *

_July 24, 2009, Friday, After School_

While Seth was walking through the hallway after classes, someone ran up to him.

"Seth!"

Seth turned around and saw Leliana stop in front of him.

"Congratulations on doing well on the finals!" Leliana said.

"Thanks." Seth said. "How'd you do, Leliana?"

"Thanks to you, I managed to pass…" Leliana answered. "Barely… Anyway, want to hang out?"

"Yeah, where do you want to go?"

* * *

Seth and Leliana had just entered Paulownia Mall and the latter became particularly excited.

*She's not doing what I think she's-* Seth thought.

"After passing my finals, I should get myself a reward." Leliana said. "To the clothing stores!"

*Too late… Now I'm stuck in a cliché…*

"Seth, would you mind evaluating for me?"

"Huh?"

"I used to have a boyfriend when I was in middle school who would always come clothes shopping with me, but we broke up, then I moved to Japan. It's a long story. Anyway, don't get the wrong idea and think this is a date."

"Not once did I consider this a date."

"That's kind of rude."

* * *

After two hours of clothes shopping, Leliana was carrying a single shopping bag.

"Is that really all you're getting?" Seth asked.

"I didn't do so well that I should get more or my parents would let me get whatever I wanted." Leliana answered. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think that you'd think I'm just a stereotypical American teenage girl."

"Well… yeah…" Seth said. "Sadly, before coming here most girls I knew were like that and I found them really annoying."

"Every girl loves shopping, be it clothes, books or whatever, but I'm not some shallow bimbo."

"That's a relief. By the way, you mentioned that your parents were here on business. What do they do, exactly?"

"They're officers in a global car manufacturing company. I usually never see them because their schedules are always booked."

"I bet you want them to take a break in their schedule to spend some time with you."

"A little… But I know they still care about me."

"You're not just saying that to just say that, are you?"

Leliana shook her head. Every time they have free time, they give me a call to know how I'm doing, what happened today and all that jazz. Despite their incredibly busy lives, they still try to make sure I remain a part of it. Do your parents call you often, Seth?"

Seth sighed sadly. "Not really, no."

"Well, you did mention they were in the army. Not a lot of call opportunities when enemies can pick up their transmissions."

"… Yeah…"

"I'm sure your parents are fine, though." Leliana smiled.

Seth could feel genuine comfort coming from Leliana and his spirits were raised.

"Anyway, I should be heading home now." Leliana said. "Thanks again for accompanying me here."

* * *

_July 24, 2009, Friday, Dark Hour_

Everyone in SEES and Heiwa were inside Tartarus, with each group fighting on the same floor while exploring, but going in different directions to cover more ground in mapping out the area. Defeating the Reverse Hierophant and Lovers Shadows had dispelled the barrier blocking their path from the next block, which now sported light blue walls and floors with architecture in its design. The SEES team was comprised of Minato, Akihiko, Mitsuru and Aigis while the Heiwa team consisted of Seth, Emi, Luke and Kasumi. Luke's weapon of choice was a sword and shield and Kasumi carried with her a spear with a large blade at the end of it, but the pole was greatly shortened to the point where she was holding it like a two-handed sword. Both groups were receiving support from Fuuka, who was near the entrance scanning her friends and their surroundings with her Persona.

"Seth, do you think it's a good idea to bring both Luke and Kasumi along with us?" Homura questioned. "Neither of them have actual combat experience."

"Neither did I when I got here." Seth said.

"_Carter-kun, I sense enemies heading right for you!"_ Fuuka spoke through her Persona.

The four off them readied their guards as they were approached by a couple of Shadows. These Shadows looked like a pair stuck together by two bars and each was wearing a black cowl.

"Finally, some action!" Kasumi pumped her fist.

"Fuuka, any weaknesses?" Seth asked.

"_Give me a sec…"_

The Shadows were almost on top of them and Luke stepped forward with his Evoker in hand.

"Luke!" Seth called out in worry.

"We just need to hold out until Fuuka-san finishes her analysis." Luke stated as he pointed the Evoker toward his head.

This was his first time using this particular gun, so he was hesitant to pull the trigger, but he knew that he had to keep the team alive.

"Selene!"

Luke fired the Evoker and behind him appeared a woman with skin as blue as the ocean and flowing, shining ivory hair that covered her eyes wearing a conservative white dress that was so long that it completely obscured her legs and feet. Just as the two Shadows were about to hit them with lightning magic, Selene raised a block of ice that blocked the electric bolts and protected the team.

"Great idea, Luke!" Seth exclaimed happily. "You're so smart!"

"Yeah, but that ice wall won't hold those Shadows forever." Homura stated.

"How's the scan coming, Fuuka?" Kasumi questioned.

"_Alllmooost… It's weak to fire!"_ Fuuka stated.

"Which means it's my turn!" Kasumi charged toward the ice wall.

"Make it quick, Kasumi-san!" Luke said. "They were charging up for their next attack. If you miss, we'll be in serious trouble."

Selene waved her hand and shattered the wall of ice she had created. As Kasumi dashed toward the Shadows, she pointed her Evoker at her head and showed no reluctance in pulling the trigger.

"Ceres!"

Appearing behind Kasumi was a woman with her head wrapped in her own light green hair and a dress made of wheat that completely covered her body save her arms and lower legs. Ceres clasped her hands together and the Shadows instantly combusted, the flames incinerating them into nothingness.

"Hell yeah!" Kasumi pumped her fist proudly as her Persona vanished.

Seth leaned toward Homura. "Still think it was a bad idea for me to bring them with us?"

"And what if the worst happened?" Homura asked.

"We would've jumped in and saved them, then brought them back to the entrance and switch out the team." Seth reassured her.

"You might be too optimistic for your own good." Homura whispered back.

Luke and Kasumi walked back over to Seth and Homura.

"Come on! Let's find some more Shadows and take 'em down!" Kasumi said.

"Kasumi-san, I understand we need to fight Shadows to get stronger, but you shouldn't be so eager about it." Luke said. "These things act on instinct and little else."

"Sounds to me you've really been doing your homework, Luke." Homura said.

"Th…" Luke blushed and his eyes darted at the ground. "Thank you, Homura-san…"

"Aw, does Little Luke have a crush?" Kasumi sang as she patted Luke's head.

"Don't call me that…" Luke's face was blushing even more now.

"You're just so cute!" Kasumi said. "A bit of a confidence boost and the girls'll be knocking down your door in mobs."

"Hey-hey!" Seth pointed at Kasumi. "Hey… I want Luke to have a girlfriend, but I won't condone any harems!"

"Sh-should we be just standing around talking here?" Luke questioned, his face still flushed, in an attempt to change the subject. "There might be other Shadows on this floor."

"_Luke's right."_ Fuuka spoke up. _"There are more Shadows lurking behind the next corner."_

Luke quietly sighed in relief.

* * *

Some time had passed and the Dark Hour was nearly finished when everyone had gathered on the bottommost floor of Tartarus.

"We made a lot of progress today." Mitsuru said. "It was a wise decision to switch out team members so no one tires out quickly. Arisato, Carter, how are you holding up?"

"If there weren't classes tomorrow, I'd sleep in all day tomorrow." Minato replied.

"And I'm A-okay-!" Seth was about to give Mitsuru thumbs up when his legs suddenly gave out and he fell to the ground. "… Maybe not…"

"Come on, dude, stay with us." Daichi said.

Both Daichi and Nobuo took Seth by his arms and carried him over their shoulders.

"Thanks, guys…" Seth said tiredly.

Mitsuru looked around at everyone and noticed how exhausted they all were. She even took a moment to assess her own fatigue.

"Get some rest, everyone." Mitsuru said. "You all need it."

"Don't worry, Mitsuru…" Seth said. "We'll be ready to go for tomorrow."

Mitsuru closed her eyes. "About that, Carter…" She reopened her eyes. "We should rest tomorrow as well. We made enough progress in both our exploration of Tartarus and our combat abilities that we can take that break."

"You sure, Mitsuru?" Akihiko asked.

Mitsuru nodded, prompting Junpei, Daichi and Yukari to let out sighs of relief.

"Man, it's times like this I wish I had a support Persona, like Fuuka." Daichi said.

Fuuka was wobbling in place and appeared incredibly dizzy.

"Fuuka-san?" Luke asked.

Fuuka then collapsed and Minato rushed over to catch her.

"Hey! Fuuka!" Minato exclaimed.

Minato checked Fuuka to see that she was still breathing and held his hand against her head.

"She's burning up!" Minato said. "We need to get her home, right away!"

* * *

**A/N:** That ends the chapter! I wanted to get this done sooner, but I was distracted by stuff again. Also, I finally got a job! I start in a few days, but hopefully I can get stuff done in my stories before then. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed! Stay tuned for next time!

**Heiwa (Fool) – Rank 5**

**Junpei (Magician) – Rank 5**

**Fuuka (Priestess) – Rank 2**

**Mitsuru (Empress) - Rank 3**

**Akihiko (Emperor) – Rank 3**

**Homura (Lovers) – Rank 5**

**Theodore (Hermit) – Rank 3**

**Nobuo (Fortune) – Rank 3**

**Daichi (Strength) – Rank 3**

**Makoto (Death) - Rank 4**

**Hardcore Gamer (Temperance) - Rank 3**

**Emi (Devil) – Rank 3**

**Troubled Woman (Tower) – Rank 3**

**Leliana (Star) - Rank 3**

**Luke (Moon) – Rank 1**

**Shy Stalker (Sun) – Rank 2**

**Kasumi (Aeon) – Rank 1**


	21. Chapter 21

**This chapter, I'll be introducing a familiar character to this story! Who is it? You'll have to read to find out. Enjoy!**

* * *

_July 25, 2009, Saturday, After School_

When the last day of classes before summer break was over, Seth visited the SEES dorm to check on Fuuka's condition.

"How's Fuuka doing?" Seth asked.

Mitsuru shook her head. "She'll be fine, but she's been pushing herself too far supporting both of our teams in Tartarus, as well as our extensive excursion last night."

"But why now of all times?" She questioned. "We haven't been to Tartarus in weeks!"

"SEES did visit Tartarus between the last full moon and Yakushima. Although… perhaps Fuuka's been hiding this exhaustion for a while now."

Seth put his arm against the wall and leaned toward it. "You're probably far more prepared for the coming battle than we are."

"Can't your superiors send someone with a support Persona?"

"Daichi, Kasumi and Homura are contacting headquarters as we speak, but even I doubt they can spare a new recruit. We aren't exactly that big of an organization."

Mitsuru sighed. "If that turns out to be the case, we advise you and your team from exploring Tartarus until Yamagishi fully recovers."

"But we'd be going back to where we were when she first joined our cause. We'd be running her ragged all over again. It'd be best if my team went into Tartarus without support, just like we did before we teamed up."

"Are you insane?! You'd get yourselves killed! I understand you had to at first, but I refuse to let you enter that tower without some form of support!"

"Would you rather Fuuka get sick again?!"

Seth and Mitsuru watched each other, the former waiting for the latter to give a response.

"… No." Mitsuru answered. "For now, see if Heiwa is willing to give a support Persona user. If they can't, we'll discuss it another time."

Mitsuru walked toward and up the staircase as Seth left the dorm in a slightly bad mood.

* * *

_July 25, 2009, Saturday, Evening_

Seth arrived back at his dorm and saw all of his teammates sitting around in the lobby.

"… Please tell me they're sending someone!" Seth groaned.

"Well…" Luke hesitated to properly answer. "They aren't."

"Dammit!" Seth slammed his head against the wall. "… OW!"

"There's a silver lining, though!" Kasumi stood up in optimism. "Dad said they were keeping their eyes on this girl and she might have the potential, just like Fuuka-chan."

"How do you know she has a support Persona?" Seth asked.

"… We don't." Kasumi responded. "All we know is she might be a Persona user."

"Then we'd be taking a complete gamble." Seth said. "But it's the best chance we've got right now."

"Headquarters was kind enough to send us her picture." Daichi handed a photograph to Seth.

The photograph depicted a somewhat short girl with long turquoise hair, glasses and was wearing the Gekkoukan uniform.

"Another Gekkoukan student?" Seth asked.

"Her name is **Fumiko Kazuya**." Daichi stated before blushing. "A bespectacled beauty that lives up to her looks. She's a first year student who's always at the top of her class and she's super polite. First Hottie Homura, then Emi, then…" Daichi looked at Kasumi and panicked. "Kasumi's a looker, that's all I'll say…"

"Thanks for at least acknowledging my appeal this time." Kasumi said.

"And now we've got this cutie!" Daichi then began salivating.

"… Y-you scare me when you d-do that." Luke said.

"She stays at the girls' main dorm, so it should be a cinch for me to tail her tomorrow and help you keep tabs." Emi said.

"And that's why Emi's our recon expert!" Nobuo said. "She's always willing to do it and never complains! Just like me."

"Is spying on her really necessary?" Seth asked. "I know we need information, but this is invasion of privacy... though to Emi, it's normal at this point."

"It's extreme, but Headquarters has informed us that the Hands of Anarchy have been spotted in the area." Homura said. "Only a few, but that's more than enough to say they've got their eyes on her, too."

"No way!" Daichi proudly denied. "A girl that nice would never fight for the Hands of Anarchy!"

"They might not give her a choice." Homura brought up. "I wouldn't put it past the Hands to threaten her life or loved ones to force her to join."

"If they do, I'll kill every last one of them!" Daichi growled crazily.

"Now you're really scaring me." Luke said.

* * *

_July 26, 2009, Sunday, Daytime_

All of the members of Heiwa stationed at Iwatodai were at random parts of the city, except for Emi who had been following the young girl, Fumiko Kazuya, all the way from her dormitory. Seth and Luke were by themselves in front of Paulownia Mall with the older brother listening in on the earpiece connecting him with his friends.

"Emi, what's the status on Fumiko?" Seth asked while pressing his earpiece.

"_She just finished breakfast and left the dorm."_ Emi's voice crackled. _"I'll continue following her and update you on her whereabouts."_

"Don't get jumped by the Hands of Anarchy." Seth said.

"_Nobody jumps on me. I'm the one who does the jumping."_

The communications were cut off for the moment and Seth turned back to the mall's entrance.

"Want to check out the mall?" Seth asked.

"Do we have to?" Luke asked.

"You want to get over your social anxieties, right?" Seth asked.

Luke thought about it for a moment and finally sighed. "All right…"

The brothers walked inside the mall and looked around. There were a lot of people walking around Paulownia today and Luke couldn't help but look down at his shoes.

"Are your shoes really that interesting?" Seth jokingly asked.

Luke didn't want to humor his brother with a response and Seth looked around at various stores.

"How about we go to Power Records?" Seth suggested.

"You know I'm not into music." Luke replied.

"And you need SOME kind of music to be into." Seth said. "Pop, rock, symphonic, anything."

Seth grabbed Luke by his arm and they entered the music store Power Records. There were a variety of CDs on display and one in particular had caught Seth's attention.

"Ooh, Risette!" Seth exclaimed as he picked up one of the CD cases.

"Is she big or something?" Luke asked.

"Only the biggest idol in Japan right now!" Seth answered. "She's really been rising in popularity since her debut." Seth put on a pair of earphones on his free ear to listen to the sample the store offered of certain songs. After several seconds had passed, he took off the earphones and handed them to Luke. "… Hear listen to this."

Luke sighed. "Okay, I'll humor you this time, Seth."

Luke put on the earphones and Seth restarted the sample song. At first it was a guitar solo, then combined with trumpets before the vocals finally came in.

_You got yourself behind a door deep inside your heart, again  
You wanna hide, you wanna come out, going round and round_

At that moment, the song had caught Luke's attention and he paid careful attention to the lyrics.

_Thinking hard about it doesn't help you one bit  
Say Hello  
You gotta say goodbye, the shrouds of lies, yeah!_

_Shout, friends! Just those words you feel that you need  
And let your voice be heard all over the world  
Stand up when you hear the knock on the door  
It's me, come on out;  
Get ready for your True Story_

Seth could make out that the song had ended and approached Luke.

"So… What did you think, Luke?" Seth asked.

Luke silently took off the earphones and turned to Seth.

"… You want to know what I think, Seth?" Luke asked.

"Yes! Yes!" Seth replied excitedly.

Luke took a deep breath, placed the earphones back on the stand and looked straight into his brother's eyes.

"… Can we buy this?" Luke asked.

"Of course!" Seth locked Luke in a bear hug and lifted him off the ground. "I'll buy you anything you want!"

"Okay, I think you're a bit too happy right now." Luke said.

"_Seth, can you hear me?"_ Emi's voice came from Seth's earpiece and he pressed his fingers against it.

"Emi?" Seth asked. "What's going on?"

"_She's heading into the book store at Iwatodai Station."_ Emi answered. _"There's been no sign of the Hands of Anarchy as of yet, but don't let your guards down."_

"Gotcha." Seth responded before the communication ended. "Luke, want to go get some shaved ice?"

Luke nodded and the two left Power Records after purchasing the Risette CD.

* * *

After spending some time in Bookworms, Fumiko walked out with several more books in her bag than she had when she entered.

"Bunkichi-san and Mitsuko-san are always so nice." Fumiko said to herself.

Meow.

Fumiko looked toward the ground and saw a black cat sitting in front of her.

"Hello there." Fumiko knelt down and spoke to the cat in a softer voice than the already had.

While Fumiko was petting the cat, it was eyeing the locket hanging from her neck. In a flash, the cat snatched the locket off of her and ran away from her.

"Hey!" Fumiko somewhat shouted. "Give that back to me!"

Fumiko chased after the cat as fast as she could. Hiding from behind the stairwell at the strip mall, Emi popped out and watched Fumiko run off.

"… Oh boy…" Emi said.

* * *

The Carter brothers were sitting on benches just outside of Paulownia Mall and just finished eating their shaved ice after Seth had spent a half hour in line just to get it from the dessert vendor hanging about around the area.

"So, anywhere else you want to go around here?" Seth asked.

"Why are you asking me that?" Luke questioned. "You've been in this city much longer than I have."

"_Seth, we've got a problem."_ Emi's voice cracked through the elder brother's earpiece.

"Emi?" Seth asked while pressing on his ear piece.

"_She's on the move, and very quickly. She's heading toward your zone. If you see a black cat running by, catch it."_

"What does a black cat have to do with-"

"_Just do it!"_

"Yeesh, no need to be testy." Seth said before looking around. "Luke, you see a black cat anywhere?"

"_Emi, what are you thinking?!"_ Homura's voice shouted through earpiece speakers.

"And no need to shout, either." Seth commented. "We can hear you fine, Homura."

"_If they let a black cat cross their path-"_ Homura said.

"_Your silly superstitions again?!"_ Emi interrupted her. _"We can't let this take priority over the mission!"_

While Seth was caught listening to the two girls arguing over the communication line, Luke was looking around in search of some sign of Fumiko or the black cat Emi had mentioned. Despite the large number of people wandering about the entrance to Paulownia Mall, Luke managed to spot a black cat with a locket in its mouth running like the wind and following it was Fumiko.

"Seth!" Luke tried to get his brother's attention.

Seth had to pull out his earpiece to hear what his brother was saying. "What is it?"

Luke simply pointed toward the cat and Fumiko having their chase.

"Let's go!" Seth said.

The brothers ran after Fumiko and the cat while being mindful of any people that were in their way.

"Excuse us! Sorry! Excuse us! Sorry! Sorry!" Luke kept apologizing to anyone they were passing by.

* * *

Eventually, the cat ran into an alley and made a sharp turn partway through. Kimiko, a bit behind, stopped when she saw the cat slip into the alley and was about to enter when someone's voice spoke to her.

"Don't go in there!"

Fumiko looked toward the sound of the voice to see Seth and Luke running up to her.

"B-but the cat has my locket." Fumiko said.

"I'm presuming the locket has sentimental value?" Luke guessed.

Fumiko face became a bit sad and she nodded.

"My brother and I will get it back for you." Luke said. "We wouldn't want you getting jumped by thugs."

Fumiko looked at Luke with serious eyes. "You have no idea how important that locket is to me! I have to see this through all the way! I'm going with you!"

Luke wasn't sure what to do, so he turned to Seth to see that he was thinking hard about it, evident by his closed eyes.

"… Alright." Seth said when he reopened his eyes. "You can come, so long as you stay close to me."

Fumiko nodded firmly and the three moved through the alley with Seth taking point, Fumiko walking close behind him and Luke keeping an eye on the rear. As soon as Seth made the turn the cat had made, he saw it jump onto a person's shoulder and drop the locket right into that person's palm. That person happened to be wearing a white cloak and mask that completely covered every inch of his body.

"We were hoping the girl would be lured here unattended." The cloaked man spoke with his voice disguised by a filter within the mask. He then petted the cat's chin with his index finger. "Very good, Kagegiri."

*It's just Seth and I here and neither of us brought our weapons.* Luke began analyzing their situation as if time had stopped all around him. *Seth can fight with his fists, but that agent might be concealing a weapon somewhere. We need to get that locket back, but I don't want my brother getting hurt in the process. There's got to be something around here that we can use as a distraction and jump him before he has the chance to pull out his weapon.*

"Give me back my locket!" Fumiko shouted at the cloaked man.

"I promise to give it back to you…" The cloaked man dangled the locket in front of him to taunt them. "On one condition."

Fumiko was about to step forward, but Luke quickly put his arm in front of her to stop her.

"Whatever they are offering, don't take it." Luke said. "I know you want your locket back, but if you accept, it won't lead to anything good."

"I haven't even detailed her end of the bargain." The figure calmly said. "Perhaps I would only ask for something small."

"We know what you're going to ask of her." Seth spoke up. "Especially since your clothes belong to the Hands of Anarchy."

"Huh?" Fumiko seemed confused now. "What?"

"This guy's trying to force you to join his gang and help them bring people nothing but suffering." Seth said. "That's the short version, anyway."

The cat, Kagegiri, hissed at Seth, his hair and tail standing straight up with its fangs bared.

"You two young men are Americans." The figure said before eyeing Seth. "Did one of you perchance kill a follower of our cause?"

"… That would be me." Seth answered.

"You killed someone?!" Fumiko gasped.

"In self-defense. I'll explain later." Seth clarified and returned his focus to the figure. "Want revenge or something?"

"You must be quite powerful to take down one of our Generals." The figure said. "However, it is not the Dark Hour right now, is it?"

Luke thought something caught his eye and looked at the ground to see some concrete pebbles on the ground.

"Seth, we should run." Luke slowly backed away while grabbing Fumiko's arm.

"Why?" Seth asked.

Suddenly Seth could feel shade over his head and his instinct was to jump backwards as another figure with a white cloak and mask dropping to the ground and landing with the tips of a pair of knives nicking the ground.

"Fuck!" The new figure exclaimed, his voice disguised by a filter as well. "There goes my promotion!"

"Hey, watch your language around my brother." Seth scolded the figure.

"Could you stop treating me like a baby?" Luke asked.

"My knives have been itching to plunge into something." The new figure said before turning to the first figure. "May I?"

"Not even a scrape on the girl." The White Cloak with the cat replied. "That's your only restriction."

"Works for me!" The White Cloak with the knives flipped one of them in the air before dashing in on the two.

*No!* Luke thought. *He's too fast! We can't outrun him and we can't fight either!*

"FREEZE!"

The White Cloaks stopped what they were doing and turned around behind them to see several cops pointing their guns at them. At that moment, someone tapped Seth on the shoulder and he turned his head and saw Emi hiding behind him.

"You're welcome." Emi whispered.

"We've been compromised." The first White Cloak said. "**Rogue**."

The other White Cloak responded to the name and turned back to his partner.

"Dammit!" Rogue groaned. "I didn't even get to stab anything!"

The two Hands of Anarchy members threw down smoke bombs that shrouded everything in a cloud of dust that completely obscured everyone's vision. When the smoke dispersed, it was as if they both vanished.

* * *

_July 26, 2009, Sunday, Evening_

After being taken in and questioned by the police, Seth, Emi and Luke were in the station lobby with Fumiko sitting in a chair.

"Did they really have to take us in?" Emi questioned.

"They just wanted us to give details so they can search for them." Seth replied. "I doubt they can do anything, though."

"Fumiko?" Luke turned to her and noticed her gloomy expression.

"They…" Fumiko mumbled. "They still have my locket…"

"We promised we'd get your locket back, Fumiko, and we intend to keep it." Luke assured her.

"R… really?" Fumiko raised her head a bit with a hint of hope.

Luke nodded with confidence and a smile and Fumiko smiled with him.

"Th-thank you so much!" Fumiko almost sobbed in joy. "How can I ever repay you?!"

"Actually, there is something we could use your help with." Seth spoke up.

"Hm?" Fumiko looked toward Seth.

"We were actually looking for you for a similar reason as to those cloaked thugs earlier." Seth stated. "Unlike them, we're giving you a choice and you can always back out. Though it'll take a bit of explaining. We'll take you back to our dorm for the night and explain everything there."

* * *

**A/N:** Okay… So this story is turning out much differently than I was originally intending and I don't seem to be getting many views or reviews on it. Because of these, I am considering of discontinuing this story in about a month. If nobody speaks up about how much they like the story, how I can improve and so on, I will officially discontinue it and eventually delete it. Maybe I'll reboot it again, much like the Spider-Man movies, or maybe I'll bring in the characters in a future project for another series. I don't know where this story and its characters will go should this fan fiction end, but I'm giving it and the readers one more chance before any final decisions. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed!


	22. Discontinued

**This is an important announcement. I have given this this story, **_**Brothers in Arms**_**, one month to get at least one person to speak up. Unfortunately, no one has. I will leave this story up on the site, but it will sadly have to be discontinued. Maybe in the future I will come back to this, but that seems unlikely. Perhaps Seth, Luke and the others might find homes in my other stories, but we'll see in the future.**


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